bare Record, faying, I faw the Spirit de- SER M. fcending from Heaven, and it abode up on him: And I knew him not; But he that fent me to baptize with Water, the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt fee the Spirit defcending, and remaining on him, the fame is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft; And I faw and bare Record, that this is the Son of God. Again; ch. iii. the 26; Secondly; VII. SERM. Secondly; THE next that bears Witness, VII. is what the Apostle here ftiles The Blood: That is; our Lord's laying down his Life for a Testimony to the Truth of his Doctrine, joined with the Circumftances preceding and attending his Death. He did not only preach that he was the Son of God, and by his Holy and Exemplary Life juftified his integrity in what he faid: But he died alfo, to make good his Doctrine; and, in his Death, was attended with many the strongest circumstantial Evidences of Truth. To his Difciples, he frequently declared before-hand, that he should be crucified and flain, and fhould rife again the third day. To the Jews, he prophefied long before his fuffering, Joh. viii. 28; When ye have lift up the Son of Man, then ye shall know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father has taught me, I Speak thefe things. To Pilate, he professed, Joh. xviii. 37; To This end was I born, and for This caufe came I into the World, that I should bear Witness unto the Truth. This is what St Paul calls, his Witnefing before Pontius Pilate a good confeffion, 1 Tim. vi. 13: And his stedfaftnefs in it, SE RM. caused even Pilate himself to testify, that VII. the putting him to death, would be a fhedding the Blood of a juft Perfon; Matt. xxvii. 24. The particular circumstances of his Death, were all of them the fulfilling of fo many diftinct Prophecies; In which it had been predicted, that he fhould be fold for thirty pieces of Silver, Zech.ix.9. that he should be fcourged, buffeted and 11.6. Spit upon; that he fhould have Gall and P. lix. 21. Vinegar offered him to drink; that they who faw him crucified, fhould mock at Pf. xxii 8. his trusting in God; that the Soldiers ——--18. fhould caft lots for his garments; that not a Bone of him fhould be broken; and that Pf. xxxiv. they bould look on Him whom they had Zech. xii pierced. Concerning all which Circum-10. stances, and particularly this Laft, of the Soldiers piercing him with a Spear, and his being really dead without having any Bone broken; St John thus declares, ch. xix. 35; He that faw it, bare Record; and bis Record is true. Upon Other Signs following his Death, the Centurion that watched him, bore Witness, faying, Truly This was the Son of God, Matt. xxvii. SERM. 54. After his Refurrection, (which was VII. itself the Great Evidence of All;) his Difciples fealed likewife the fame Tefti mony with Their Blood: Which is there fore ftiled, Rev. xvii. 6; the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus; That is, of those who were beheaded, ch. xx. 4; for the Witness of Jefus, and for the Word of God; Or, as 'tis ch. vi. 9; who were flain for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held. To which may be added, that even his Enemies alfo, who wished that his Blood might be on Them and on their children; even Their blood also was made a Witness to the fame Truth, by the Vengeance that came upon them at the deftruction of Jerufalem. Thirdly, THE Third and Laft Evidence or Witnefs to the Truth of our Lord's Doctrine, is the Spirit. And under This Head, are included Many particulars, Ift, THE Whole Body of Prophecies under the Old Teftament: To Him give All the Prophets witness; Acts x. 43: And Rev. xix. 10; The Testimony of Jefus, is the Spirit of Prophecy: So we render the Words: VIL Words: But the True Rendring is; The SER M. Spirit of Prophecy, is [only] the Teftimony, or the Witnefs, of Jefus. For which reafon 'tis expreffly ftiled by St Peter, The Spirit of Chrift which was in the Prophets. 2dly, THE Purity and Spiritual nature of the Doctrine itself which he taught, and the Innocency and Holiness of his Life; by means of which, he, as a Lamb with-1Pet.i. 19. out blemish, offered himself, through the 14 eternal Spirit, without Spot, unto God. 3dly, The Miracles which he worked in his own life-time by the Spirit of God: Matt. xii. 28; If I caft out Devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you; And Joh. v. 36; I bave greater Witness than That of John; For the Works which my Father hath given me to finish, the fame Works that I do, bear Witness of me, that the Father has fent me. Heb. ix. 4thly, His Refurrection from the Dead s Concerning which, St Peter tells us, that he was quickened by the Spirit; And St 1 Pet. ii. Paul, Rom. i. 4; that he was declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the 18. |