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3. And bad them * ask him, Whether He were indeed the expected Meffias, or whether they should look for another.

4 Jefus, upon their asking this Question, wrought immediately feveral Miracles before their face, and then bid them judge what he was by his Works; Go, faith he, and tell John what things ye have not only heard, but also feen with your Eyes.

5. Tell him that the Blind receive their fight; that the Lame walk; that the Leprous Perfons are cleanfed; that the Deaf hear 5 that the Dead are raised 3 and that poor, and meek, and humble Men, have the glad tidings of Salvation preached unto them.

3 And faid unto him, Art thou he that fhould come, or do

we look for another?

4 Jefus answered and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things which ye do hear and fee:

5 The blind rethe lame walk, the ceive their fight,and lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear,

the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

*Tis probable John did, this, not fo much that he doubted himfelt of Chrift's being the Meffias, but to fatisfie his Difciples, who it feems had fome fmall æmulation against Jefus and his Difciples, as may be gathered from Matth.

9. 14.

6 And bleffed is

he whofoever fhall

not be offended in

me.

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye

out into the wilder

nessto see? A reed

fhaken with wind?

the

8 But what went ye out for to see ? A man clothed in foft raiment ? behold, they that wear

6. And bleffed is he, whofoever fhall not be † ashamed of my Doctrine, or † difcouraged by any temporal Evils from obeying it.

7 With this Answer the Difciples returned to John: And when they were gone, Jefus took occafion to speak to the People concerning John; and he said, What was it that ye went out into the Wilderness unto John to fee? I prefume it was not for nothing, and in mere trifling, that ye went out in fuch Multitudes.

8. What was it then, that ye went out to fee? Was it in expectation of of feeing fome great Perfon, foft clothing, are in finely clothed, and appearing kings houses.

in great delicacy and fplendor? No; The Wilderness was not a proper place, to expect fuch a Sight as that in.

t Thus the word onandani (edas fignifies in other places, and moft evidently, Matth. 13.21.

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9. What then was it,that ye went out to fee? Was it in hopes to fee a Prophet? Yea verily, and a Prophet it was that ye did fee, and a much greater one too, than any of the Prophets that went Before him.

10. For this was he, of whom the Prophet Malachi foretold, that he should be fent as a Fore-runner, to make ready the Way for the coming of the Meffias, and to prepare Mens Hearts for the reception of the Gospel.

11. Affuredly I tell you, that of all the Prophets and holy Men, that ever yet appeared upon the face of the Earth, there never was any equal to John the Baptift; nevertheless, the meaneft Preacher of the Gospel in the Kingdom of the Meffiah, has a greater and more excellent Office and Ministry than he.

12. 'Twas John the Bap tift that first declared openly the coming of the Meffiah, and preached publickly

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lence, and the violent take it by force.

13 For all the

God's Defign of accepting Repentance as the Condition of the Gospel-Salvation : And from that time forwards all forts of People, not only Jews, but even Gentiles alfo, and Publicans, and the greatest Sinners, have preffed in to hear this gracious Doctrine, and to accept the Terms of Repentance and Forgiveness.

prophets, and the law prophefied until John.

14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to

come.

15 He that hath

13. For till the time of John, Men had only the Guidance and Direction of the Law and the Prophets; but fince that time, the Gofpel hath been begun to be published to the World.

14. And if ye will bear that I fhould tell you the Truth, this John is the Person whom the Prophets foretold fhould appear in the Power and Spirit of Elias, to prepare the Way for the coming of the Meffiah.

15. Whoever is defirous

ears to hear, let him or willing to be taught and

hear.

inftructed, let him obferve

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16. But the Men of this Generation are perverfe and obftinate; and whatever we fay or do, they will be fure to interpret crofly and perverfly No Arguments can perfuade them to hearken to Inftruction, and no manner of Behaviour can remove their Prejudices against us : But they are just like Children in a froward and pevish humour.

17. For as Children in fuch an humour, do every thing just contrary to what their Companions defire and expect; If others laugh and play, they will be fad and fullen; if others be forrowful, they will laugh and mock Even fo the Men of this Generation cannot be wrought upon either by one way of Teaching, or another.

18. For John the Baptift, when he came to preach to them, came folitary in the Wilderness, with great Aufterity and Severity of Life, with Fafting and Abftinence, with Mortification

16 But where

unto fhall I liken is like unto children this generation? It fitting in the mar kets, and calling un

to their fellows,

17 And faying, We have piped unto you, and ye have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

not danced: we have

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they

fay, He hath a devil,

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