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us, thou didst declare unto us, that thou hadst received thy commission to no nation but to us, and now thou wilt go to another nation, with the same commission. Considering all these things, Jesus was taken, found guilty, and *was punished with a just punishment.

* This was the case of the gentile Messiah.— First, he said, he was sent to no nation, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. What was his duty? *To go to king Herod, and before the Sanhedrin, and deliver unto them his commission, and tell them plainly that he was their Messiah, and was sent unto them. But he never went to Jerusalem; * and why? because he had heard that John was cast into prison-on this account he departed into Galilee. Did he not testify that he was sent by God to Israel? *"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." John xii. 49. Did he fulfil his commission? no: for, instead of his. going to Jerusalem, the proper place, he went to Galilee. But why was he afraid to go to Jerusalem? it was because John was in prison; and he was afraid that perhaps they would do the same to him. It is certainly marvellous that the Messiah, who was sent by God, should be afraid to deliver his commission.-We will follow him into Galilee, and see what he did there. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people." Matt. iv. 17. 23. "He said unto them, Let us go into

the next towns, that I may preach there also ; for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils." Mark i. 38, 39. "He said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also; for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee." Luke iv. 43, 44. Let us see what effect his preaching, or his miracles had. "So the men sat down, in number about five thousand, with five barley loaves and two small fishes;" of this small dinner they all ate plenty, and yet afterwards the fragments that were left were twelve baskets over and above. The next day the people followed him to Capernaum; " and when they had found him on the other side, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither he answered them and said, Verily I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. . . .Then they said unto him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, * What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat." John vi. 10, 13, 25, 26, 28-31.

If we consider the conduct of this number of people, we must certainly be surprised. They had all eaten yesterday a great dinner: they all saw that there was no more than five barley loaves and two small fishes, and yet more than enough for

five thousand people, and that it could not be done except by a miracle; and yet, the very next day, they said to him, " Give us a sign from heaven: our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Here you may see that all his miracles were considered by them as nothing, except he could shew them a miracle from heaven. On this account they mentioned the manna: but what is more wonderful than all, is this, that he * not even once gave them a sign from heaven, although they always were touching that string, and sounding that trumpet. We have already noticed that his commission was only to Israel; yet one thing we have passed over until now, and that is, to ask the question, Was his commission only to preach, teach, heal the sick, and shew some miracles?

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It appears by his own words, that he was to do nothing but to preach and teach: "For therefore I am sent," he says: but I may say freely, that, if this is true, then both the angel Gabriel and Zacharias the priest were liars. The angel Gabriel said, " And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." Mat. i. 21. And "the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, &c. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i. 26, 32, 33. From the words of the angel, we learn, that the Messiah was only intended for Israel, but not for the gentiles; he says, "For he shall save his people from their sins:" observe the term,

*his people; he shall save them from their sins; but no mention is here made of the gentiles :That the Messiah shall be a king, but not a preacher and teacher; for he says, "the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Israel for ever." Thus far is proved by the words of the angel, that the Messiah was not to go round about to preach, but to be a king over Israel, and sit upon a throne.

"And Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the God of Israel.; for he hath visited and redeemed his people; and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that we should be - saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us." Luke i. 67-74, 77, 78. From this prophecy we may learn, 1. That the redemption of Israel will be performed by the Messiah: mark the term, "For he hath visited and redeemed his people ;" not a word about the gentiles: 2. " And he hath raised up a horn of salvation for us," but not for the gentiles, so says the text: 3. That he is to be a king, or "a horn;" it means one thing: 4. That he is to fight against all the enemies of Israel, and.

to deliver them out of the hand of their enemies :" 5. That he will prosper, that Israel might be saved: 6. That all the good things are to be done to Israel, because it was "a promise to our fathers," also, on account of " his holy covenant:" 7. Besides the covenant and promise, there is an oath, which God sware to Abraham," to do these things to his children at last; and at last, to take away their sins :-and "from on high he hath visited us ;" mark, visited us.

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Thus far it is clearly proved that the Messiah should not be a preacher, neither should he go round about in the towns, to teach and preach to the people. We must now admit that, if the words of Christ are true, then the words of the angel and Zacharias must be false; and again, if the words of the latter be true, then the words of Christ must be false. That both can be true, is impossible; therefore I thought it best to leave the whole matter to your consideration.

* CONCLUSION OF HIS EMBASSY.-After Jesus had walked round about in all parts of Galilee, preaching and teaching, and shewing miracles, hear what his own family say to him. "His brethren said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him." John vii. 3-5. "The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil." John vii. 20. "Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation

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