DISCOURSE I. 139 officers came probably with wrath in their hearts, and with a de- sign to revile Jesus, and lay hands on him, according to their orders ; but they were constrained to turn away from him with innocent hands, and they fulfilled not their mischievous designs. There have been such examples in our days, when wicked men have come to blaspheme God and the gospel inhis ministers, and to strike our Lord Jesus Christ through the sides of the pure professors of his faith,and worship, and they go away believers ; then is that glorious prophecy fulfilled, Is. lxv. 1. I am found of them that sought me not. And blessed be God that such in- stances are found in our assemblies, wherein our Lord Jesus Christ makes his divine power appear, and attests his gospel, according to our ministrationsof it. III. I infer also from this text and discourse, that " when God resolves to work by his Spirit with his word, he breaks through all oppositions and prejudices of every kind, and con- 'strains the hearers to confess, as well as believe." The divine conviction strikes like lightning, through their hearts, and com- mands their lips to acknowledge the presence and power of God there. Now I shall exemplify this head byconsidering the par- ticular characters of these officers, and survey what difficulties, and what prejudices they laboured under, when th^y came first to put themselves under the preaching of Christ, and we shall find this inference eminently true. They were educated under the Jewish priests, and doubt= less they had their heads full of notions concerning a glorious Messiah, and they wished for nothing more, than to bear some considerable office in the kingdom of that Messiah, if he should appear in their day ; and this is not at all strange, if we reflect that this was the very mistake and the temptation of James and John, who were two apostles. But when, they heard Christ preach, they must probably fall under convictions of a different kind, and be sensible his kingdom was spiritual: For he wrought powerfully upon their spirits, and seemed to give thetn another turn of mind, they confessed and acknowledged though he was mean in his appearance, and his character in the world was con- temptible, though he carried nothing of greatness and magnifi- cence with him, he might be the true Messiah, for they were sure never any man spoke like hin,. Again, they were supposed to be enemies in their hearts to Christ before they came; but when God and his grace was with them by the mouth of his Son, they felt their error, they were forced to acknowledge it, and they became his friends ; and instead of delivering him up to the fury of their rulers, they screened him from their rage and vio- lence, and let him go in peace. They were under the dictates and authority of the high priest and pharisees, and yet how glorious was the power and
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