THE HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE HOLY JESUS. PART II. BEGINNING AT THE TIME OF HIS FIRST MIRACLE, UNTIL THE SECOND YEAR OF HIS PREACHING: WITH CONSIDERATIONS AND DISCOURSES UPON THE SEVERAL AND PRAYERS FITTED TO THE SEVERAL MYSTERIES. Τὸ ἀπιστεῖν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν ἐκλελύσθαι τῶν ἐντολῶν Yivera-Chrysost. ad Demetr. [cap. ii. tom. i. p. 125.] TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND EXCELLENT LADY, THE LADY MARY, COUNTESS DOWAGER OF NORTHAMPTON. I AM now to present to your honour part of that production of which your great love to sanctity was parent; and which was partly designed to satisfy those great appetites to virtue, which have made you hugely apprehensive and forward to entertain any instrument whereby you may grow and increase in the service of God, and the communion and charities of holy people. Your honour best knows in what soil the first design of these papers grew; and, but that the excellent personage who was their first root is transplanted for a time, that he may not have his righteous soul vexed with the impurer conversation of ill-minded men, I am confident you would have received the fruits of his abode to more excellent purposes. But because he was pleased to leave the managing of this to me, I hope your honour will for his sake entertain what that rare person 'conceived,' though I was left to the pains and danger of 'bringing forth; and that it may dwell with you for its first relation, rather than be rejected for its appendent imperfections, which it contracted not in the fountain, but in the channels of its progress and emanation. Madam, I shall beg of God that your honour may receive as great increment of piety and ghostly strength in the reading this book, as I receive honour if you shall be pleased to accept and own this as a confession of your great worthiness, and a testimony of the service which ought to be paid to your honour by, MADAM, Your honour's most humble And most obliged servant, JER. TAYLOR. THE HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE HOLY JESUS. PART II. BEGINNING AT THE TIME OF HIS FIRST MIRACLE, UNTIL THE SECOND YEAR OF HIS PREACHING. SECTION X. Of the first manifestation of Jesus, by the testimony of John 1. AFTER that the Baptist by a sign from heaven was confirmed in spirit and understanding that Jesus was the Messias, he immediately published to the Jews what God had manifested to him. And first to the priests and levites, sent in legation from the Sanhedrim, he professed indefinitely, in answer to their question, that himself was "not the Christ, nor Elias, nor that prophet" whom they, by a special tradition, did expect to be revealed, they knew not when: and concerning himself definitely he said nothing, but that he was "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord;" He it was who was then "amongst them," but "not known," a person of great dignity, to whom the Baptist was "not worthy" to do the office of the lowest ministry, "who, coming after John, was preferred far before him," who was to increase, and the Baptist was to decrease, who did "baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire." 2. This was the character of His personal prerogatives; but as yet no demonstration was made of His person till after the descent of the holy Ghost upon Jesus, and then whenever the Baptist saw Jesus, he points Him out with his finger, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world; this is Hed." Then he shews Him to Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, with the same designation, and to another disciple with him, "who both followed Jesus, and abode with Him all night:" Andrew brings his brother Simon with him, and then Christ changes his name from Simon to Peter, or Cephas, which signifies a stone. Then Jesus himself finds out Philip of Bethsaida, and bade him follow Him; and Philip finds out Na ■ John i. 15. 20, 21. 23. 26, 27. 30. John iii. 30. e Matt. iii. 11. d John i. 29. 36. |