132 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of onr BLESSED memoration of the great deliverance wrought for their fathers, who were miraculoully relieved and preferved by a fiream which flowed from an hard dry rock, and revived the nation which was fainting with third: the other part was poured out as a drink-offering, accom- panied with their prayers to the Almighty, for the former and latter rain to fall in their feafon ; which ceremony was con- cluded by the whole congregation, Pinging this palfage out of the prophet Ifaiah, With joy(hallye draw water out of the wells of falvation, -chap. xii. 3. It was the confiant mode of inffruêlion which our great Redeemer purfued, to ac- commodate his difcourfes to the particular occafion and circumllances of his hearers, and to engage and fix their attention, by alluding to occurrences and obje&s aaually inview; and, accordingly, he took this op- portunity of reprefenting the rich bleffings which finful creature would receive from him, under the metaphor of water: and, in allufion to the ceremonywhich they had feen performed, In the laft day, that great day of thefea,ft, ,7efu-s flood and cried, Pay- ing, If any nzan atilt, let hint come unto me, and drink. He that ,believeth on me, as the Scrijture.hath faid, out of his belly fhallflow rivers of living water. While our Lord was thus fpeaking to the people, with a beautiful fimplicity, and lipart-affeiing flrength and energy, fuch as never were joined before, the officers fent from the council to apprehend him came into the temple : before they proceeded to the execution of their commillion, they Raid a fewmoments -to hear his difcourfe ; to this they were excited by their curiofity, but his divine eloquence overcame their refentment, removed their prejudices, and melted away their rage : the harmony of his pronunciation, the beautiful fimplicity and plainnefs, and the amazing flrength, energy, and clearnefs of his reafoning, dif- played the beauties of divine truth, and caufed them to Thine on the underfianding with refiftlefs brightnefs ; even his enemies, who were lent from the council toappre- hend him, were aftonifhed and overcome : the greatnefs of the fubjea affeffed their minds, and it's importance filled their un- derflandings: the warmth and tendernefs with whichhe deliveredhis difcourfes, fixed their attention, and penetrated their hearts; they felt new and uncommon emotions, and overwhelmed with the greatnefs of their admiration, were fixed in filent aflo- nifhment; they were abfolutely overcome, and could not think of executing the coin- miflion which brought them to the temple ; they blamed themfelves for having under- taken it, and returned to the rulers of Ifrael without performing it. If we confider the remorfelefs difpofition of the perfons who are ufually fent about fuch bufinefs, and the nature of the fubjea which employed our great Redeemer's eloquence, we (hall have reafon to join the officers in their admiration, and to acknow- ledge that our great Redeemer's elocution was fuperior to all praife ; fuch furely that difcourfe muff be, which addreffed toothers, and on a divine fubjea, could difarm the refolution of the mod determined enemy, and penetrate the receffes of the molt un- feeling heart. Nor were the officers the only perlons who were afleted with this divine dif- courfe : for the furrounding- multitude were fenfible of very remarkable impreffions, and expreffed their wonder in various con- jeFlures; many of them declared he muff certainly be one of the old prophets, and others', that he could be no lets than the Meffiah himfelf; others, led away with the common miffake, that he was born at Na- zareth, alked, with fnearing difdain, ifthe Meffiah was to come out of Galilee, when the Scripture had abfolutely declared, that he was to be born in Bethlehem, the na- tive town of his father David. Thus we are informed, Many of thepeople, therefore, when they heard this Paying, faid, Of a truth, this is the prophet : ethersfaid, This is the Chr : but fonte faid, Shall Chríll come out of Galilee? Hathnot theScripture faid,
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