withdraw from the concourse of the people. The leper that he cured, Mark i., though forbid to say any thing, yet "blazed it so abroad, that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places,” living in retirement, as appears from Luke v. 16, and there "they came to him from every quarAnd thus he did more than once.

ter."

This being premised, let us take a view of the promulgation of the Gospel by our Saviour himself, and see what it was he taught the world, and required men to believe.

The first beginning of his ministry, whereby he showed himself, seems to be at Cana in Galilee, soon after his baptism; where he turned water into wine: of which St. John, chap. ii. 11, says thus: "This beginning of miracles Jesus made, and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” His disciples here believed in him, but we hear not of any other preaching to them, but by this miracle, whereby he "manifested his glory," i. e. of being the Messiah, the Prince. So Nathanael, without any other preaching, but only our Saviour's discovering to him, that he knew him after an extraordinary manner, presently acknowledges him to be the Messiah; crying, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."

From hence, staying a few days at Capernaum, he goes to Jerusalem to the passover, and there he drives the traders out of the temple, John ii. 12-15, saying, "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandize." Where we see he uses a phrase, which, by interpretation, signifies that he was the "Son of God, though at that time unregarded. Ver. 16, Hereupon the Jews demand, "What sign dost thou show us, since thou doest these things?" Jesus answered, "Destroy ye this temple, and in three days I will raise it again." This is an instance of what way Jesus took to declare himself: for it is plain, by their reply, the Jews understood him not, nor his disciples neither; for it is said, ver. 22, "When, therefore, he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered, "that he

said this to them: and they believed the Scripture, and the saying of Jesus to them."

This, therefore, we may look on in the beginning, as a pattern of Christ's preaching, and showing himself to the Jews, which he generally followed afterwards; viz. such a manifestation of himself, as every one at present could not understand; but yet carried such an evidence with it, to those who were well disposed now, or would reflect on it when the whole course of his ministry was over, as was sufficient clearly to convince them that he was the Messiah.

The reason of this method used by our Saviour, the Scripture gives us here, at this his first appearing in public, after his entrance upon his ministry, to be a rule and light to us in the whole course of it: for the next verse taking notice, that many believed on him, "because of his miracles," (which was all the preaching they had,) it is said, ver. 24, "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men;" i. e. he declared not himself so openly to be the Messiah, their King, as to put himself into the power of the Jews, by laying himself open to their malice; who, he knew, would be so ready to lay hold on it to accuse him; for, as the next verse 25 shows, he knew well enough what was in them. We may here farther observe, that "believing in his name" signifies believing him to be the Messiah. Ver. 22 tells us, That many at the passover believed in his name, when they saw the miracles that he did." What other faith could these miracles produce in them who saw them, but that this was he of whom the Scripture spoke, who was to be their Deliverer?

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Whilst he was now at Jerusalem, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, comes to him, John iii. 1-21, to whom he preaches eternal life by faith in the Messiah, ver. 15 and 17, but in general terms, without naming himself to be that Messiah, though his whole discourse tends to it. This is all we hear of our Saviour the first year of his ministry, but only his baptism, fasting, and temptation in the beginning of it, and spending the rest of it after the passover in Judea, with his disciples, baptizing

there. But "when he knew that the Pharisees reported, that he made and baptized more disciples than John, he left Judea," and got out of their way again into Galilee, John iv. 1, 3.

In his way back, by the well of Sichar, he discourses with the Samaritan woman; and after having opened to her the true and spiritual worship which was at hand, which the woman presently understands of the times of the Messiah, who was then looked for; thus she answers, ver. 25, "I know that the Messiah cometh: when he is come, he will tell us all things." Whereupon our Saviour, though we hear no such thing from him in Jerusalem or Judea, or to Nicodemus; yet here, to this Samaritan woman, he in plain and direct words owns and declares, that he himself, who talked with her, was the Messiah, ver. 26.

This would seem very strange, that he should be more free and open to a Samaritan than he was to the Jews, were not the reason plain, from what we have observed above. He was now out of Judea, among a people with whom the Jews had no commerce, ver. 9; who were not disposed, out of envy, as the Jews were, to seek his life, or to accuse him to the Roman governor, or to make an insurrection, to set a Jew up for their King. What the consequence was of this discourse with this Samaritan woman we have an account, ver. 28, 39-42, "She left her water-pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: Is not this the Messiah? And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him, that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves; and we know, (i. e. are fully persuaded) that this is indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the world." By comparing ver. 39 with 41 and 42, it is plain, that

"believing on him" signifies no more than believing him to be the Messiah..

From Sichar Jesus goes to Nazareth, the place he was bred up in; and there reading in the synagogue a prophecy concerning the Messiah, out of the Ixi. of Isaiah, he tells them, Luke iv. 21, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears."

But being in danger of his life at Nazareth, he leaves it for Capernaum: and then, as St. Matthew informs us, chap. iv. 17," He began to preach and say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Or, as St. Mark has it, chap. i. 14, 15, "Preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the Gospel;" i. e. believe this good news. This removing to Capernaum, and seating himself there in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali, was, as St. Matthew observes, chap. iv. 13-16, that a prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled. Thus the actions and circumstances of his life answered the prophecies, and declared him to be the Messiah. And by what St. Mark says in this place, it is manifest, that the Gospel which he preached and required them to believe, was no other but the good tidings of the coming of the Messiah, and of his kingdom, the time being now fulfilled.

In his way to Capernaum, being come to Cana, a nobleman of Capernaum came to him, ver. 47, " And besought him that he would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death." Ver. 48,

"Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Then he returning homewards, and finding that his son began to "mend at the same hour which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth; he himself believed, and his whole house," ver. 53.

Here this nobleman is by the apostles pronounced to be a believer. And what does he believe? Even that which Jesus complains, ver. 48, "they would not believe," except they saw signs and wonders; which could be nothing but what those of Samaria in the same

chapter believed, viz. that he was the Messiah. For we nowhere in the Gospel hear of any thing else, that had been proposed to be believed by them.

Having done miracles, and cured all their sick at Capernaum, he says, " Let us go to the adjoining towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came ĺ forth," Mark i. 38. Or, as St. Luke has it, chap. iv. 43, he tells the multitude, who would have kept him, that he might not go from them, " I must evangelize,' or tell the good tidings of " the kingdom of God to other cities also; for therefore am I sent." And St. Matthew, chap. iv. 23, tells us how he executed this commission he was sent on: "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and curing all diseases." This then was what he was sent to preach every where, viz. the Gospel of the kingdom of the Messiah; and by the miracles and good he did he let them know who was the Messiah.

Hence he goes up to Jerusalem, to the second passover, since the beginning of his ministry. And here, discoursing to the Jews, who sought to kill him, upon occasion of the man whom he had cured carrying his bed on the sabbath-day, and for making God his Father, he tells them that he wrought these things by the power of God, and that he shall do greater things; for that the dead shall, at his summons, be raised; and that hẹ, by a power committed to him from his Father, shall judge them; and that he is sent by his Father; and that whoever shall hear his word, and believe in him that sent him, has eternal life. This though a clear description of the Messiah, yet we may observe, that here, to the angry Jews, who sought to kill him, he says not a word of his kingdom, nor so much as names the Messiah ; but yet that he is the Son of God, and sent from God, he refers them to the testimony of John the Baptist, to the testimony of his own miracles, and of God himself in the voice from heaven, and of the Scriptures, and of Moses. He leaves them to learn from these the truth they were to believe, viz. that he was the Messiah sent