The enemies of revelation have not failed to represent this event in a most ludicrous manner; if any, therefore, should demand why God permitted his only Son, the Saviour of the world, to be tempted by the devil, whose power was deemed to be restrained, we reply as follows:-One cause of the Redeemer's being suffered to be tempted was, that he, being personally acquainted with the wiles of Satan, might become a faithful and compassionate high priest, know how to succor his people in time of adversity, and pity them when they fell into temptations. That in order to be a shining pattern of every virtue, and also a wise and valiant general, the blessed Redeemer underwent all the difficulties and trials attending his service, that we, being animated by his glorious example, might not sink under the pressure and troubles which God, for our good, should be pleased to lay upon us.

The Saviour of the World hath not only been exposed to poverty and ridicule, but also to the most trying temptations of Satan; that as the captain of our salvation has undergone the same, we ought not to faint when we are tempted, but, like him, be able to withstand the fiery darts of the devil.

It doubtless appears highly proper, in order that our blessed Lord and Master, might both enter upon, and prosecute his ministry, with more glory to himself, and advantage to mankind, that he should previously overcome the most subtle arts of that deceiver, who, under the mask of the serpent, seduced our first parents, and involved them and their posterity in one common

ruin.

The peculiar devices used by the old serpent to tempt the Son of God, during the time of his fasting, are not recorded in holy writ, and consequently cannot be ascertained.

But at the expiration of the forty days, when the blessed Jesus had endured the keenest hunger, the tempter, to make proof of the divinity of his mission, insolently demanded, why he bore the sensations of hunger, since, if he was the Son of God, he must have power to change even the stones of that dreary wilderness into bread; and by so marvellous a transmutation, he might have the satisfaction of knowing the truth of what was said concerning him at his baptism.

But our blessed Saviour repelled this device, by citing the words of Moses, which implied, that God, whenever it seemed good in his sight, could, by extraordinary means, provide for the support of the human race. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Luke iv, 4.

Satan, being defeated in this effort, took him to the top of a very high mountain, and thinking to work upon him by another artifice, showed him a bright view of all the kingdoms of the world, with their alluring glories, promising him universal

empire over the whole, if he would bow down and yield to him the honor of the benefaction.

But observe his accursed pride and arrogance, in promising that which is the gift of God alone, universal empire over the earth; and requiring what was due to none but the Supreme, religious homage. This blasphemy, as well as insolence, incited the blessed Jesus to exert his divine authority, and command him, in a peremptory manner, to desist, citing this special injunction from sacred writ, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Thus repelled, he repeated the attempt, and having taken our Lord to Jerusalem, placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, and by a taunt of insolence, urged him to prove the truth of his mission, by casting himself down from thence, citing, as an encouragement for him to comply with his desire, a text from the Psalms-"If thou be the Son of God cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Matt. iv. 6. But our Saviour soon baffled this attempt, by another apt quotation from scripture-"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Matt. iv. 7. Thou shalt not provoke the Lord, either by disobeying his command, or by an impertinent curiosity to know more concerning his mind and will, than he is pleased to reveal.

Thus baffled in all his art and devices, by the wisdom and power of the Son of God, he departed from him, and an host of celestial spirits, despatched from the regions of bliss, came and ministered refreshment to our Saviour, after his victory over the great enemy and deceiver of mankind.

Hence, notwithstanding the ridicule of the infidel, Christians may derive great encouragement to fight manfully against the flesh, the world, and the devil, under the banner of the great Captain of their salvation, who is ever ready to supply them with spiritual armor to sustain the combat with that inveterate and subtle foe, whose devices he has experienced, being in every respect tempted like them.

During the time of our Saviour's retirement in the wilderness, his faithful harbinger, the Baptist, being assured, from the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit, and other concurring testimonies, that Jesus was the promised and long-expected Messiah, continued publishing his mission to the multitude; so that the rulers in Jerusalem received information of the surprising events that had happened in Bethabara, beyond Jordan, before they saw the blessed Jesus, in confirmation of whose mission and doctrine they were effected.

Prompted by curiosity, they despatched a deputation of Priests and Levites to the Baptist, to demand of him, who his

wondrous person was; whether he was the Messiah, or Elias, or that prophet who was to rise from the dead, and precede the Messiah, the powerful prince so earnestly expected by the whole nation of Israel.

The Baptist frankly replied, That he was not the Messiah whom they expected, nor Elias, who, as they vainly thought, would personally appear amongst them, nor any other prophet risen from the dead; but at the same time hinted to them, that though he was not Elias himself yet he was that person spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, and of whom he thus prophesied : "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." Isaiah xl. 3.

The Priests and Levites, not sufficiently gratified with this reply of the Baptist, demanded of him, why he assumed the power of baptizing the people, if he was neither the Messiah, nor Elias, nor any of the ancient prophets risen from the dead. To this demand John answered, I indeed baptize, to show the necessity of repentance, but my baptism is only that of water, and wholly ineffectual in itself to the remission of sins; but that washing, foretold by Zacharias, is of most sovereign effect: it is not my province, but solely that of the Messiah, who is actually upon earth, and among ye, though ye know him not, because he hath not manifested himself unto the world. The Messiah is so far exalted beyond me, in power and dignity, that I am not worthy to do him the meanest offices.

The day after the departure of the Priests and Levites from Bethabara, our blessed Lord left the wilderness, and repaired thither himself, while John was yet baptizing and preaching the doctrine of repentance.

The Baptist, as his grand business was to direct all persons to the Messiah, for life and salvation, in and through him, embraced this seasonable opportunity of pointing him out to the multitude," Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world!"

Lest the attending crowd should surmise, that it had been previously concerted between Jesus and John, that the former should assume, and the latter give him, the appellation of Messiah, he publicly and solemnly declared, that he was equally with them ignorant of the pretensions of Jesus to that high character, till he saw the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost, and heard him pronounced, in the most awful manner, the Son of God. "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven, like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptized with the

Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." John i. 32, 33, 34.

The Baptist having made this public declaration, the Messiah left Bethabara, but returned the day following, and John, happening to stand with two of his followers on the bank of the river Jordan, pointing to him as he passed, and in a pious rapture, repeated what he had addressed to the multitude the preceding day, "Behold the Lamb of God." It is bence imagined, that these two disciples, or followers of the Baptist, were absent at the time of the descent of the Holy Ghost, and for that reason this method was taken of pointing out to them the venerable person of the promised Redeemer of the world.

Animated with an ardent desire of hearing, as well as seeing this extraordinary person, they left John and followed Jesus, who, conscious of their design, turned about, and, with the. utmost affability, gave them an invitation to the place of his residence. The Evangelist John informs us, that one of these disciples was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter; and it is conjectured, from his silence, that himself was the other; for it is remarkable, that in his writings he studiously concealed his own name. Be that as it will, it is abundantly evident, that the testimony of the Baptist, added to the tokens he had from the blessed Jesus, in the course of his converse with him, amply satisfied Andrew that he was indeed the promised Messiah, the Saviour and Redeemer of lost and perishing sinners.

Andrew soon after found his brother Peter, and brought him to our blessed Lord, who immediately called him by his name, telling him that he should afterwards be called Cephas, (which signifies a rock) from his firm resolution of mind, and also because he should contribute towards the foundation of the Christian church.

Some time after, Jesus casually met with Philip, an inhabitant of the town of Bethsaida, and said to him, "Follow me." Philip immediately obeyed the divine command, having heard of the character and mission of our blessed Saviour. It is supposed that this disciple was present at the miraculous descent or the Holy Spirit on our Lord at his baptism, which being admitted, his ready compliance with his call is no matter or admiration.

Philip meeting with Nathaniel, an inhabitant of Cana, a town in Galilee, informed him of the actual coming of the longexpected Messiah, the great deliverer of Israel, spoken of by Moses and the ancient prophets: "Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathaniel was assured, from the predictions concerning the Messiah, that he was to be descended from the line of David, and born in the city of Bethlehem, and therefore discovered an amazement at his being called Jesus of Nazareth:

"Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Can that most contemptible of places, Nazareth, be supposed to have given birth to the mighty Saviour, the Prince of Peace? especially as it was expressly foretold by the prophet, that he was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Notwithstanding the improbability of such an event, Nathaniel listened to Philip, and determined on an examination of the person who he said was the promised Messiah. Accordingly, under his direction, he repaired to the blessed Jesus, who well knowing his character, saluted him on his approach with this honorable appellation, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."

Nathaniel, amazed at our Lord's pertinent address, as he had never before seen him, asked by what means he obtained such precise knowledge of him. Our Lord replied, "he had seen him under the fig-tree." Probably Nathaniel had been praying under the fig-tree, and been overheard by our Lord, who, from the substance of his prayer, thus concluded his character; for when the blessed Jesus informed him that he gave him that character on account of what had passed under the fig-tree, Nathaniel perceived that he knew not only what had passed at a distance, but had access to the inmost thoughts of the heart, a property not allotted to mortals; and therefore exclaimed with rapture, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel."

Our Saviour then told him, he should hereafter have much stronger testimonials of the divinity of his mission, when he should be eye-witness to what the old patriarch Jacob had before seen in a vision; the angels of heaven descending and ascending, to attend the person and execute the commands of the Son of Man: an appellation our dear Lord assumed not only as considering his humanity, but in order to fulfil most peremptorily that remarkable prediction of the prophet Daniel concerning him.

"I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Dan. vii. 13, 14.

The great Redeemer, having attested the divinity of his mission by many incontestible evidences, and made five disciples, departed for Galilee, where, soon after his arrival, he was invited, with his mother and disciples, to a marriage feast at Cana, a place near Nazareth.