CHAP. XIV.

V. 61. The high priest asked JESUS, and said unto him, Art thou the CHRIST, the Son of the Blessed? 62. And JESUS said, I am. And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Ps. cx. V. 1.-JEHOVAH saith to ADONI, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Among the unfounded assertions of the present times, it is asserted that JESUS CHRIST never affirms that he is GOD. Here, in answer to a very solemn appeal from the high priest, he assumes to himself the office of the ADONI, the Judge of the whole world, whom elsewhere Daniel declares to be ELOHIM JEHOVAH and the Great GOD. Can the divinity be more strongly asserted? And remember this argument is not enforced by quotations from the learned of this or that denomination, but merely by references from the Scriptures themselves, and prophecies and declarations made hundreds of years before the Gospels or New Testament were extant.

CHAP. XV.

V. 1. The chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and they bound JESUS and delivered him to Pilate.

Ps. ii. V. 2.-The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against JEHOVAH, and against his anointed. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, JEHOVAH shall have them in derision. 10. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve JEHOVAH with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

The Jews had the above admonition in their hands, but how very little did it advantage them; and why? Because, probably, like other modern cavillers, they were not well read in the Law and the Prophets, for they it is which so clearly testify of Jesus.

V. 3.—And the chief priests accused him of many things, but he answered nothing.

Isa. Ch. liii. V. 7.—He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

V. 24. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

Ps. xxii. V. 18.-They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

How extraordinary it is that this last trivial prophecy should have been fulfilled by the very people who were acting in opposition, and whose wish was to set at nought all the pretensions of CHRIST and his followers. Thus does GOD make use of the foolish things in this world to confound the wise.

V. 27. And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

Isa. Ch. 53. V. 12.-He poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

This prophecy tallies so exactly with the Gospel text, that we should suppose no one could read them and continue in unbelief.

V. 29. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself and come down from the cross.

Ps. Ch. xxii. V. 7.-All they that see me laugh me to scorn, they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on JEHOVAH that he would deliver him, let him deliver him if he will have him, seeing he delighted in him.

The facts related by St. Mark agree precisely with the Psalm.

V. 33.-And when the sixth hour was come there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

AMOS, Ch. viii. V. 9.—And it shall come to pass in that day, saith ADONI JEHOVAH, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.

JOEL, Ch. ii. V. 10.-The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble, the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

How awfully these prophecies agree with the events described in the Evangelists, need not be pointed out particularly; but I wish to remark, that it is said they are to take place on the great and terrible day of JEHOVAH, and what day was ever so great and so terrible as the day on which our Blessed LORD was crucified.

V. 36. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone, let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 37. And JESUS cried with a loud voice, and gave up the Ghost.

Ps. lxix. V. 20.-Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness, and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. 21. They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Well might our blessed Saviour refer us to the Psalms, for the above awful prophecy was uttered about a thousand years before its fulfilment; and the actors who verified the prediction were the infidels of those days. Ye unbelievers and irreligious of the present times, reflect on these things, and remember that you are commanded by CHRIST himself to search the Scriptures, because they testify of him.

ST. LUKE.

СНАР. І.

V. 16. And many of the children of Israel shall he (St. John) 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.

MAL. Ch. iv. V. 5.-Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of JEHOVAH.

We find that St. Luke's account perfectly agrees with the parallel circumstance in the preceding Gospel. In both it is said that St. John's office is to go before the LORD GOD in the spirit of Elias, to make ready for the JEHOVAH. Thus St. Luke shows that he believed in the divinity of CHRIST, for he plainly asserts to the Israelites, that JESUS is the LORD their GOD.

V. 31.-Thou shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32. And he shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the LORD GOD shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

ISA. Ch. ix. V. 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty GOD, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

DAN. Ch. ii. V. 45.-The GoD of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

In the above extract from St. Luke, the spirituality of CHRIST's kingdom is distinctly asserted, for it is said, it is to endure for ever. The quotation from Daniel gives the same information of the kingdom of the God of heaven. That we may know how to under

stand these two prophecies, let us learn from Isaiah who is the CHRIST who is referred to by St. Luke, and we shall find that he emphatically and plainly proclaims the divinity of the Child whom he had prophesied should be born under the above-stated circumstances, for he says, He shall be called the Mighty GOD.

V. 35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The HoLy GHOST shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of GOD.

In the note on the 14th chapter of St. Mark, we learnt that the meaning of the phrase, "SON of GOD," is Equality with GOD, and let us recollect how frequently our Saviour is so called. In the above extract the angel announces it, When he was baptized, the Holy Spirit from heaven proclaimed it, and when he was on his trial he says, speaking of himself, ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power. Thus unequivocally is his Divinity asserted even by himself.

V. 36.-Behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren for with God nothing shall be impossible.

ZECH. Ch. viii. V. 6.—Thus saith JEHOVAH of hosts, If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes, saith JEHOVAH of hosts.

The miraculous birth of St. John is rendered more extraordinary and important, when we reflect that he was preordained to prepare the way of JEHOVAH, and to make straight a high way for our GOD, or, as the Evangelists teach us, he was the forerunner of the GOD of our salvation.