LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. 35 01A510t,E510-135tc;titegliz5tc5-it5tc5,43,Wc5. C H A P T E R IX. CHRIST begins his Public Minillry. He is invited to a Marriage-Feafi at Cana; at which he performs his firfi Miracle: He goes to Jerufalem at the Paver; performs feveral Miracles; clears the Temple of the Traders; andholds a Conference with Nicodemus. IT was during the retreat of our great Redeemer into the defart, and his abode there, that the Jewifh Sanhedrim Tent the deputation of priefts and Levites to John the Baptift, as before related ;, and he having openly and honeftly in- formed them, that he was not the Meffiah, they returned to Jerufalem. The next day after their departure, the Son of God, having defeated the cunning, and difappointed the wiles, of the great enemy of mankind, returned from the wildernefs, after an abode there of forty days, and came to Bethabara, where John was baptizing. The holy Baptift, knowing that the great defign of his coming into the world was to prepare the way for, and lead the people to, the Meffiah, no fooner faw the exalted Sa- viour of mankind, than he pointed him out to the people as the obje& of their higheft regard and reverence: Behold, he cried, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world! And that it might not be fuppofed, that he declared him to be fuch a dignified perfon, without fuffi- cient grounds, he proceeded to inform the attentive multitude, that he had re- ceived a full affurance of this truth at the time when he baptized him, by the appearance of the Holy Spirit, in the /nape of a dove, vifibly refling on his head, John bare record, laying, Ifaw the Spirit defcending like a dove, and it abode upon him, and I knew him not ; but he thatlent me to bapize with water, the fame laid unto me, upon whom thou (halt fee the Spirit defcending and remaining on him, the fame is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft ; and Ifaw and bare record, that this is the Son of God. After this public de- claration of his great forerunner, Jesus departed; but returning the next day to the banks of Jordan, the Baptift, being there with two of his difciples, he no fooner beheld the holy Jesus, than he repeated and confirmed his former decla- ration, which was made to the multitude, Behold the Lamb of God. It is probable thefe difciples were abfent when Jesus was baptized, and the Spirit defcended on him, while a voice from heaven declared him the Son of God. This plain and pofitive declaration of their Mailer, ex- cited their curiofity, and filled them with a ftrong delire to be further informed. To this end, they followed Jesus, no doubt, defiring to be acquainted with this extraordinary perfon. Our great Re- deemer, knowing their intentions, turned towards them, and, with that conde- fcending kindnefs and complacency fo natural to him, took them with him to his houfe. We are informed, by the evangelic John, that one of thefe dif- ciples was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter; the name of the other is not men- tioned, fome fuppofe it was the cyan- gelift himfelf. They, by this invitation, gained an opportunity of converfing with the Saviour of mankind, and that con- verfation, joined with the declaration of their mailer, the Baptift, fully convinced them
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