IV.

faith the Lord, a Voice was heard in Rama, La- SER M. mentations and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her Children, refused to be comforted for her Children, because they were not, Jer. xxxi. 1 5. The Completion of which Prophecy in the difmal Slaughter of all the Innocents under two Years old, in and about Bethlehem, is not only related in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Ch. ii. 16-18. but is mentioned alfo by a celebrated Heathen Author, Macrobius, who has given us a Sarcasm or Jeft, which the Roman Emperor Auguftus paffed upon Herod, upon his putting his Son Antipater to Death, about the Time that thofe poor Infants were maffacred at his Command. "When Auguftus (faith Macrobius) "had heard that among the Children under two Years of Age, which Herod King of the

Jews had commanded to be flain in Syria, "his own Son was alfo put to Death: He

"

faid, It was better to be Herod's Hog than " his Son *.” Meaning that though he was reftrained by the Law of Mofes from killing of Swine, yet the Law of Nature did not withhold him from butchering his Son.

From this Time to our Bleffed Lord's coming forth to execute his Miniftry, we find but little recorded of him in Scripture, except *Macrob. Saturn. 1. z. c. 4.

IV.

:

SER M. his coming up with his Parents to the Paffover, when he was 12 Years of Age, and at that Time difputing with the Doctors in the Temple, Luke ii. 41, &c. But even this I have shewed already to have been the Completion of a Prophecy in Malachi, Chap. iii. 1. who foretold to the Jews that the Lord which they fought fhould come fuddenly, or unexpectedly, to the Temple. But after the Time of Jefus's entering upon his Office, he daily fulfilled fome Prophecy concerning the long looked for Meffiab. Mofes, Ifaiah, Ezekiel and Hofeah, not only foretel his being a great Prophet, but intimate his being a greater, and a more perfect and univerfal Teacher than any one that ever went before him. I have put my Spirit upon him (saith God,) He shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles, and the Ifles fhall wait for bis Law, Ifa. xlii. 1, 4. Now it is not denied but that Jefus has delivered the most perfect Law as to its Precepts, and the most affecting as to its Sanctions. And this Law he delivered in a Manner that moft engaged the Attention; not introducing it like Mofes and the Prophets, with-Thus faith the Lord, ;-but fpeaking as from himself, with an-I say unto you; teaching them all along as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes, Matt. vii. 29, Inftruct

IV.

Instructing them at the fame Time plainly SER M. and clearly, and not as those before him under Shadows and Types, and commiffioning his Apoftles, as foon as they fhould be endued with Power from on high, to difperfe themselves unto the uttermoft Parts of the Earth, Acts i. 8. to call Gentiles as well as Jews to the Knowledge of the Truth; that fo the Faith might no longer be confined to one People; but that all Nations of the Earth might become one Church, and be all gathered into one Fold under one Shepherd.

Nor were the Miracles which the Chrift was to work lefs clearly foretold than his Inftructions and Doctrine. The Times of the Meffiab are certainly understood in that Prophecy of Ifaiah Then the Eyes of the Blind fhall be opened, and the Ears of the Deaf Shall be unstopped; Then shall the lame Man leap as the Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb fball fing, Ifai. xxxv. 5, 6. From which Predictions the Jews themselves in their Talmud and publick Commentaries infer, "That all "the Miracles of Mofes and the Prophets "shall be nothing to the Miracles of the "Meffiab when he cometh*." Upon which Notion undoubtedly was founded that QuefMidrash Copheleth, c. 1.

tion

JER M. tion among the People recorded by St. John;

IV.

When Chrift cometh will be do MORE MIRACLES than thefe which this Man has done? John vii. 31. From which Words it appears that they expected the Chrift should do many Miracles, and yet that he could not do more than had been done by Jesus. And these Miracles were fo unexceptionable, so plain and obvious, that our Saviour himself puts the Teft of his Miffion upon the Evidence of the Truth. For when the Baptist fent to him two of his Difciples, and faid unto him, Art thou be that should come, or do we look for another? Matt. ii. 3. Jefus in his Answer fupposes that his Works would be a fufficient Refolution of the Queftion proposed; and therefore he faid unto them, Go and fhew John thofe Things which ye do hear and fee: The Blind receive their Sight, the Lame walk, the Lepers are cleanfed, the Deaf hear, and the Dead are raised up; and blessed is be whofoever shall not be offended in me.

Having thus fhewn that the many and great Miracles wrote by Jefus, prove him to be the Meffiah foretold by the Prophets; I fhall fhew next that the Manner in which he was received and treated by the Jews was another Mark by which feveral Predictions were

ful

IV.

fulfilled. And hitherto must be reduced all SER M. the Sufferings of our Lord, with the Indignities that were fhewn him from his Entrance upon his Ministry, to his Death upon the Crofs, And here will not improperly come in that Description of him in Isaiah, which begins with his Perfon. He hath no Form, nor Comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no Beauty that we should defire him, Ifa. liii. 2. The Prophet seems to defcribe a Perfonage no Way beautiful, but rather uncomely: And fo the most ancient Writers of the Church have interpreted Ifaias, and have confeffed the fulfilling of it in the Body of our Saviour*. In later Ages indeed they give a contrary Defcription, and begin to magnify the Beauty of his Perfon; every feveral Nation reprefenting his Picture in the nearest Similitude to the handfomeft of their Country. But what was the real Afpect of his outward Appearance, fince the Scriptures are filent, we cannot now know. It is enough that we are affured that the Condition of his Life was in the Eyes of the Jews without Honour and inglorious; and this thofe Taunts of theirs fufficiently prove-Is not this the Carpenter's Son? Is not bis Mother called Mary? and his Brethren,

Pearfon on the Creed, p. 87. + Pearjon, ibid.

24

James