30 The NEW and COMPLETE L1 FE of our BLESSED ance, but being willing to honour the inflitution, he offered himfelfto John, pro- pofing to be baptized. John, by a pro- phetic fpirit; . knew the Lamb of God, acknowledged his fuperiority,.and would have declined the talk. I have need to be baptized of thee, . and conzell thou to me! cried the holy man. Jefus calmly replied, Suffer it to be fo now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteoufnefs. Our great Redeemer did not think proper to explain the cafe, and lay down the reafons why . it was neceffary for him to fubmit to that inflitution ; but, by this reply, gave the Baptift to underhand, that the divine will required it to be done ; it having a tendency to promote the great end for which they both came into the world. The good man's fcruples being removed, the Sonof God defcended into the ftream, and received the facred rite at the hands of the holy prophet. The ex- alted Redeemer afcending from the water, kneeled down on the banks of Jordan, and prayed with great fervency to his heavenly Father. As this holy rite was preparatory to his entering on his public minifiry, no doubt he prayed for the affifiance of the Holy Spirit, in the great work which lay before him. His prayers were heard: a flood of heavenly glory immediately illuminatedthe whole concave ofthe fky, and the Eternal Spirit, arrayed in beamy light, whofe whitenefs exceeded the new fallen fnow, appeared in the fhape of a dove, hovering over the head of the Saviour of mankind : at the fame time, a voice, awful as the thunders of heaven, yet foft and pleafing as the mofi delightful mufic, proclaimed to the won- dering multitude, This is my beloved -Son, in whom I am well pleated. This mani- felt tefiimony from heaven, of the divi- nity of the holy Jesus was received with wonder and joy by the Baptift For he that tent him to baptize with water, the fame had_laid unto him, upon whom thou (halt fee the Spirit defending, and re- maining on him, the fame is he that bap- tizeth with the'HolyGhoft. And, confirmed by this appearance and heavenly voice, beyond all poffibility of a doubt, he im- mediately cried out to the aflonifhed be- holders, This is he tf whom I Bake. He that cornea after me, is preferred be- fore me, for he was before me ; and of Ibis fulnefs have we all received grace for grace : for the law was given by Mofes, but grace and truth came by Jefus Chrìft. No man hathfeenGod at any time : the only begotten Son, which is in the .bofom of the Father, he hath declared him. John continued _ baptizing and preach- ing at Bethabara, near the banks of the river Jordan, at which place JESUS came to him, whom when the prophet faw, he cried out, Behold the Lanzb of God, who taketh away thefan of the world ; and on every occafion and opportunity that offered, the holy man pointed out the Redeemer of Ifmel, and proclaimed him to mankind. John after this; continued preaching and baptizing: his difcourfes were deli- vered with fuch freedom and plainnefs, and at the fame time with fach energy and fpirit, as gave him a commanding influence over the minds of his hearers. Full of the Spirit of God, he regarded not the frowns of the mighty, nor fought the praifes of man. With holy bold- nefs, impartial freedom of fpeech, and the high authority of a teacher fent from God, he reproved the vices and mif- carriages of all orders of men. He fpared not the hypocrify of the Pharifees, the prophanenefs of the Sadducees, the extor- tion of the publicans, the rapine of the foldiers, nor the lewdnefs and inceft of Herod himfelf. That prince, who was tetrarch of Galilee, had taken to wife a princefs, whofe name was Herodias ; fhe was daughter to Ariflobulus, one of the fons of Herod the Great, by his queen . Mariamne. Her father was put to death by the old tyrant, when he was in fo much perplexity
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