The Authors ples for his own fake, but for theirs, that they who before had envied Chrift for their Mafters fake, and would rather have had John to have been the Meffias than him, might now be affured and fully inftructed touching Chrift, from Chrift himfelf: Thus they. judgment. But for my part, I do conceive that John did propound this Queftion to Chrift for his own fake rather than for his Difciples: For though when he lived in peace and freedom, he had a clear Revelation from the Father touching the Son by the Spirit, and had accordingly clearly spoken of Christ to others, yet now being in Prison and Bonds, and near unto death, he is brought by great Tribulation and Temptation, to doubt of all that Truth which before he had been taught of God, and even to question whether Chrift were the true Christ or no? For thought he, If he be the true Chrift, why doth he not fend Redemption to me, who fuffer for his fake, but fuffer me thus to perish, whilft he might help me, if he be the Chrift? and if he work Miracles for others, as I hear he doth) why doth he wholly neglect me, who have given fuch an honourable Teftimony to the world of him. Tribulation Hard to ho'd faft Truth in And truly (Brethren) we know not what place or power the Gospel of God our Saviour hath in us, till Tribulation come; and fo much of the true knowledge of Chrift, and of true Faith in Chrift we have indeed, as we have strength in fuch hours. That truth which we confefs freely in Profperity, we are fain to begin to learn it again in Tribulation; and Tribulation makes us learn the Truth over again the fecond time; it makes us to learn that in Experience, which before we had learned only in Doctrine. And how hard a matter it is to hold faft in Trouble. Trouble, that Truth which we well know and freely freely profess in Profperity, we may fee, not only in John the Baptift, (who being in Prifon,doubted whether Chrift were the true Chrift, after he had been fo clearly taught him, by God and his Spirit, and had fo plainly confeffed him) but also in the Disciples of Chrift, who though they had heard all his Doctrine, and feen all his Works, and had confeffed him to be Chrift the Son of the living God, yet when the High-Priests were inraged, and the People in an uproar, and when they beheld the Swords and the Staves, and Christ was apprehended, and themselves in danger, they were all offended at him and fled. Yea, we may fee it in Christ himself, who though the Father had teftified touching him three times from Heaven; faying, this is my beloved Son, &c. Yet when his Suffering grew near, he exceedingly feared, and was amazed and astonished, and on the Cross cried out aloud, my God, my God, why hast thou for faken me? My Brethren, no man knows the grievousness and efficacy of Tribulation, and the weakness and frailty of Humane Nature, but they who have had experience of both; but this is the comfort of the faithful, that that knowledge of Christ and the Gofpel, which God hath taught us, and we have heard and learned from him, will certainly endure and hold out throughout all the greatest and longest storms of Tribulation and Temptation, though with much striving and difficulty; but they who have had much knowledge of the Truth, and have made a glorious profeffion of it before men, and yet have wanted the true teaching of God, and true Faith through that teaching, fuch when Tribulations and Difficulties have risen up, have quite departed from the Truth, and have often renounced it. We Luther. Conclufion at this. Note. Faith asks of hrt an f.es Faith. ა We know not Brethren (I fay again) what we do believe aright, touching Chrift and his Gospel, touching the Love of God to us, and the Remiffion of our fin, &c. till distress, and tribulation, and death come; and what are we then, we are that indeed; yea, at fuch times, we are to be judged according to our faith, and not according to our fenfe and feeling. Luther was wont to fay, that in Temptation he could hardly make ufe at all of that Doctrine of the free Grace of God to Sinners, and of Faith in Christ crucified, &c. which at other times he did preach in much knowledge and utterance. And he faid another time, That if he were addicted to Gods word at all times alike, and could find fuch love and defire thereto in his heart always, as he did sometimes, he should reckon himself the happiest man in the world. Now from all these things I conclude, that John being in Prison, and being fallen into many Tribulations and Temptations, did send these two Difciples unto Chrift for his own caufe, and for his own confirmation, as it is said, ver. 2. and 3. Ver. 2. When John had heard in prifon the works of Chrift, he fent two of his Difciples. Ver. 3. And faid unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Whence we are further to obferve, That John in his doubting sends to Christ himfelf, and would not turn afide to the Scribes and Pharifces, to take advice from them, or to demand their Judgment. For true Faith, in all doubtings touching Christ, goes to Chrift himself for Resolution, and will be fatisfied from none but from Christ. And Chrift is as ready to fatisfie John, as John to inquire and ask; and fo he returns him this Answer by his Disciples. Ver. 4. Go and fhew John again those things you fee and hear. Ver. 5. The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them: And now let John himself refolve his own Question, whether I am the true Chrift or no. Go fhew John the things you fee and hear. Where you fee that Chrift doth not fay in plain Chrift, how terms that he was the Chrift; yea he often forbade known? men to fay fo; but he would have his Works and his Word declare what he was, that our Faith migh have a fure Foundation. 1. Chrift would be known by his Works. his works. The blind receive their fight, the lame walk, &c. 1. Chrift known by and fo every where in the Gospel, Chrift would be known to be what he was, by his Works; par- 1. In hi ticularly in Job. 10. 24. when the Jews came round about him, and faid, How long doft thou make us doubt? if thou be the Chrift, tell us plainly. Jefus thus answered them, ver. 25. I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me. And ver. 37, 38. he faith to them, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. Thus you fee, that Chrift will be known to be what he is by his Works. For Chrift, the Power, Wisdom and Righteouf nefs of God, is a moft lively and active Principle, and cannot lie hid where he is present and dwells; but when this Word was made flesh, i. e. came into the flesh, it did manifeft it felf to be in that flesh, by doing the works of God; and without the works of God, the prefence of the eternal word in the flesh of Christ had not been known. Wherefore felf the Head 2. In the Body. Chrift is called God manifefted in the flesh, and not hidden; and he was manifeft to be God in the flesh, by doing the works of God. And as Chrift is known by his works, in himself Church is the Head, fo alfo in the Church his Body: for where-ever Chrifts Prefence is, there also are his Works; and where his works are not, there neither is his prefence. Object. Answ. The Kind of Chrifts works. If Christ be present in our hearts by faith, his Works will be undoubtedly manifeft in our lives. Now if any fhall fay, But it is not necessary for every Chriftian to do the Works of Chrift here mentioned, to wit, to cause the blind to fee, and the lame to walk, &c. 1 anfwer, yet however there are other Works of Chrift befides thefe, which are infeparable from his prefence, as the work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope, together with the selfdenial of Chrift, the Meekness, Lowliness, Goodnefs, Long fuffering, Heavenly-mindedness of Chrift; as alfo his readinefs and diligence to do the will of God, and his cheerfulness to fuffer it; these works (fay) every one ought to perform, that is a Chriftian, that fo Chrift may ftill be known by his works, as the Apoftle faith, Shew me thy faith by thy works, that is, let me know the prefence of Chrift in thee, by the works of Chrift. And thus is Chrift known by his works, both in Himfelf and in his Members. And thus much touching the Works of Christ in general. Now for the kind of the Works which Chrift did, as, to give eyes to the blind, and strength to the lame, &c. it is to be noted, that they all are such works as the Prophets had foretold the Melias fhould perform when he came into the world, as Ifai. 35. ver. 5. Behold God will come and fave you; Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf that be unstopped; then shall the lame |