PART CHAP. VIII. Teftimony of the eternal Father given to Chrift in his baptifm, proved in a fenfible and convincing manner by the circumftances of the history, by important reflections, and by the explication of the mystery concealed in the baptifm of Chrift. Circumstances, which were preparatory for this teftimony, and which accompanied it. The ufe which an honest and fincere person should make of fo decifive a teftimony, given under fuch circumstances. Answer to fome objections. Proofs of the truth and certainty of the teftimony of the heavenly Father, which we ought to look upon as demonftrations. Farther proofs, equal to demonftrations, drawn from the mystery of the baptifm of Chrift, which is visibly fuperior to all human inventions. I Have greater witnefs, faid Chrift +, than that of John: for the works which "the Father hath given me to finish, the same "works that I do, bear witness of me, that "the Father hath fent me. And the Father himself, which hath fent me, hath borne "witnefs of me. * It is alfo written in your "law (he faid again) That the testimony of two men is true. I am one that beareth "witness of myself (by my miracles) and the "Father John v. 36. John viii. 17. Deut. xvii. 6. "Father that fent me beareth witnefs of CHAP. The Father hath indeed borne witness of Chrift on many occafions, but principally in his baptifm and transfiguration; and 'tis this great teftimony, a teftimony fo majeftic, fo worthy of being credited, and of removing by its authority all our doubts, that we are going to confider in this chapter, in order first to establish its certainty, and fecondly to draw proper confequences from it. ARTICLE I. Circumftances, which were preparatory for this teftimony, and accom panied it! T HEN cometh * Jefus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized "of him. But John forbad him, faying, I "have heed to be baptized of thee, and comeft ithouoto me B And Jefus anfwering faid un"to him, Suffer it to be fo now: for thus it "becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." It is therefore certain, that Saint John at. that time knew Chrift, and that it was not the defcent of the Holy Ghoft in the form of a dove after the baptifm, which informed him. And it is confequently certain, that at another time he had seen the fame Spirit defcend and remain upon him; fince by this fign he was Matth. iii. 13. M 4 to VIII. PART to know him, as God had revealed to him, IV. when he sent him to baptize and preach repentance. "I knew him not, he faid ‡, but " he that fent me to baptize with water, the "fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt "fee the Spirit defcending and remaining on him, the fame is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft: I faw the Spirit descending "from heaven, like a dove, and it abode upon "him. I faw and bare record, that this is "the Son of God." Nevertheless this teftimony, which had a personal relation to Christ, was not made public before his baptifm; and John kept it fecret, till he came himself, and by his humility forced him to publish it. These circumstances, which we fometimes confound, tend to explain the hiftory, and to fhew, that Chrift had been already acknowledged by Saint John before his baptifm, by a fign intirely fimilar to that which fucceeded it; that this was the reafon Saint John pub licly and ftrongly refifted, and that this refiftance doubtless contributed very much to engage the attention of all the fpectators to Chrift and himself. The number of thefe fpectators was great, fince, according to the evangelift, all the people flocked to be baptized *, and the lively exhortations of Saint John, and his example, had long fince induced every one to repent. John i. 32, 33, 34. And "When all the people were baptized, Jefus being alfo bap"tized and praying, the heaven was opened." Luke iii. 21. And it was impoffible that thefe fpectators CHAP. should be unattentive, when the heavenly Fa- VIII. ther sent forth his voice, or that they thould apply it to any other than Chrift; becaufe befides that they had been prepared by the humble refiftance which John had fhewn him, to regard him as an extraordinary man, or even as the Meffiah, this voice was not heard till after two circumstances, which exprefly pointed him out the one, that Chrift prayed upon the banks of Jordan immediately after his baptifm, which drew the eyes of the multitude upon. him; and the other, that the heavens opened above him, and the Holy Ghost descended on him in the exterior and visible symbol of a dove, and lighted upon his head; for 'twas then they heard this voice iffuing from heaven, "Thou art my beloved || Son, in thee I " am well pleased.” + "The heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghoft defcended "in a bodily fhape like a dove upon him, and a voice came "from heaven, which faid, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleafed." Luke iii. 22. My true Son, my own Son. ARTICLE PART ARTICLE II. The ufe that an honest and fincere perfon fhould make of fo decifive a teftimony, given under fuch circumftances. Anfwer to fome objections. A Suppofe then that we were prefent at this fpectacle, and faw every thing which preceded it: how fhould we have been able not to look upon Chrift as the only Son of God, publicly acknowledged as fuch by his Father? And after having adored him in this quality, how could we have helped blindly refigning ourfelves to him, and hearing him as truth itfelf? We knew, that John long fince proclaimed the coming of the Meffiah, but added, that he was concealed in the crowd of people, and unknown to himself. He faid, that he came down from heaven, and would baptize men with the Holy Ghoft; yet he left us in hopes, and kept us in fufpence. Now the fecret is difcovered: John, who treated the Jews even to the very pharifees as a race of vipers, and who knew that all indifcriminately needed repentance, refufes to baptize a man, who demands it of him, humbles himself before him as before his purifier, and thus publicly declares, that he is the Meffiah, whofe fore-runner he was, and of whom he had fo long preached. After having expected and been prepared fo long, can we help being af fected |