perior unction which he received; the declaration of heaven-the testimony of John the Baptist-and the miracles which he wrought.

§ 2. We commence with the first, viz. the peculiar and superior unction which Jesus Christ received. It has already been stated that the Father had engaged to qualify the human nature of the Mediator by anointing it with the Holy Ghost: hence one of the names of the Mediator is Messiah, or Meshiach, in Hebrew, and Christ, or Christos, in Greek, both signifying "the anointed." The first time that this word was used in the Bible, was by Hannah in her prayer: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed," or "Messiah," 1 Sam. 2: 10. R. D. Kimchi ingenuously acknowledges that the king mentioned here is the Messiah, of whom Hannah spake, either by prophecy or tradition. It is generally supposed that Jesus is the proper name of the Mediator, but Christ refers to his offices. By the former, our blessed Redeemer was always acknowledged by our nation; but they deny him to be the Christ; and the law which they made in his time is still in force, viz. "that if any man confessed that Jesus is the Christ, he should be cast out of the synagogue."

3. Now the name of Christ, or Messiah, is manifestly borrowed from the ancient divine institution of setting persons apart to an office by the ceremony of anointing. Kings and priests were always anointed, and prophets sometimes, but not always. But all these unctions were only types of that of the Messiah, who was to be anointed as prophet, priest and king. The royal psalmist informs us that "Messiah should be anointed above his fellows," Ps. 45: 8, i. e. above those, who possessed with him a fellowship or similarity of office, as types of himself. Aaron was anointed high priest; Saul was anointed king; Elisha was anointed prophet; Melchizedeck was a king and priest; Moses priest and prophet; David, king and prophet, yet none was

ever anointed to the union and comprehension of all these offices together, except the Messiah.

§ 4. And as the priests and kings of old were set apart to their offices and dignities by a certain oil prescribed in the law of Moses, Ex. 30, so was the Messiah to be anointed with a better anointing, (of which the oil was but a shadow,) namely, with the Holy Ghost; see Isa. 11: 1–3; 61:1-3; which was not only to designate and set him apart to these great and important offices, but was likewise to qualify him, in his human nature, for the performance of them. All this was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Savior; for "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." Acts, 10: 38. Although he was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, yet, when entering his public ministry, he was publicly anointed, as a declaration of his election to the work. Thus Aaron and David, two eminent types of the Messiah, were twice anointed. Exod. 28:41; 29: 31; Lev. 8: 12-30. See Abarbanel on Ex. 28:21; respecting David, see 1 Sam. 16: 13; 2 Sam. 2 : 4. It is remarkable, that, immediately after the baptism of Jesus, it is said, that "being full of the Holy Ghost," he “returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil." From thence Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and from thence he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read, and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiali. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upen me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord; and he closed the book, and he gave it again unto the minister, and sat down. And

the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, this day is this Scripture fulfilled unto your ears." Luke, 4: 1, 14–21, compare Isaiah, 61: 1-3. That this passage in Isaiah refers to the Messiah, is acknowledged by many of our ancient Rabbins, Kimchi in Sepher Shorashim, Rad. Mashach. R. Sol. Hamelech in Michlol Yophi in loco, and Iuchasin, fol. 69, 1. R. Saadiah Gaon, in lib. Haemun, c. 8. Now when Jesus said, "this day is this scripture fulfilled," it was as much as if he had said, "I am the person here spoken of; and at this present time the Spirit of God is upon me; I am anointed with the Holy Ghost, and now preach glad tidings to you, and all the good things here mentioned, and for the several ends proposed; and this scripture has its full accomplishment," &c. &c.

5. Another evidence of the divine appointment of Jesus as the Messiah and Mediator, is a declaration from heaven, delivered on two different occasions. First, at his baptism, which is thus narrated: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. 3: 16, 17. Here is the testimony of the Father, of the near relation Jesus stood to him, and of the Father's approbation of his work.

The second declaration from heaven was, when Jesus was on Mount Tabor, in the presence of Peter, James, and John, and Moses and Elijah, "there came a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am avell pleased; hear ye him." Matt. 17: 5: here is an additional sentence, "hear ye him;" assuring the disciples that Jesus is that prophet "like unto Moses," whom all men, Gentiles as well as Jews, are commanded to hear and obey, at the peril of their destruction. Deut. 13: 18.

§ 6. A third evidence of the divine mission of Jesus, is the testimony of John the Baptist.

Dear Benjamin, allow me to detain you for a few moments on this part of the subject. You know that nothing is more common amongst our people than to talk about Elijah Hannavoh, i. e. Elijah the prophet. To present this subject to your view in a clear light, I will show,

I. That the Messiah was to have an harbinger; this will appear,

ch. 40: 3-5. "6

§ 7. 1. From express prophecies. The first is in Isa. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God; every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." The next is in Malachi: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." ch. 3 1. Again, ch. 4 : 5, 6. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

§ 8. 2. It appears, from the testimony of many of our ancient writers, that the Messiah was to have an harbinger. In Berashith Rabb. fol. 219. § 15. and in Talmud Eruvim, f. 43, 2, it is written: "Before the Son of David cometh, Elijah will come, to publish glad tidings." Maimonides in hilchoth Melachim, c. 2, § 12, saith: "Our wise men, of blessed memory, say, that before the coming of Messiah, Elijah will come." The Targums often speak of Elijah and the Messiah together. See Ex. 40: 10. Deut. 30: 4. Lam. 4: 22. Seder Tephiloth, f. 56, 2. 128, 2, and frequently in Haggodo Shel Pesech. In Pesikta

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Rabbetha, fol. 62, c. 1, and in Yalkut Shimoni on Isaiah, fol. 53, c. 3. No. 337, there is a long account of the coming of Elijah three days before the Messiah, and of his going out and standing upon the mountains of Israel, repeating the words of Isaiah, 52: 7; How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth!" and that his voice is so loud as to be heard from one part of the world to the other.

§ 9. 3. The same thing appears from the question put to John the Baptist by the messengers sent by the Jews, whether he was Elijah, John, 1: 21, which showeth that they expected the coming of Elijah.

I will now show that John the Baptist was the promised harbinger. This will appear,

10. I. From the testimony of those who could not be mistaken. 1. The angel Gabriel foretold it, Luke, 1: 16, 17; "Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

2. His father, Zechariah, by the spirit of prophecy declared it, Luke, 1: 76, 77. “And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest ; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins."

3. John himself, whilst he said, "I am not Elijah," to rectify the mistaken notion that Elijah personally would appear, at the same time asserted that he was the person promised by the name and character of Elijah, to do the work of a harbinger. John, 1: 23.

4. The evangelists have recorded it. Matt. 3: 1-3: "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of