conceived '( If an absolute identity of person be dispensed with in the one case, it may also be dispensed with in the other : and, so far as that is concerned, the objection falls to the ground.
But it is said, that John acknowledged that he was not Elias. True ; he did so. The Jews supposed him to be Elijah the Tishbite, or probably Jeremiah : but he declared he was neither the one nor the other : but, at the very time that he declared this, he informed them, that he was the Forerunner of the Messiah, even the person whom Isaiah had described as " a voice crying in the wilderness." " They said to Him, Who art thou ? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say est thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet EsaiasV Now, there is not a learned Jew in the universe who does not interpret this passage of Isaiah as referring to the Forerunner of our Lord : and therefore we see, not only that our blessed Lord assigned that office and character to John, but that John himself claimed it, at the very time that he denied himself to be Elijah the Tishbite : and it is remarkable, that our blessed Lord, in asserting his own Messiahship, appealed to the testimony of John as decisive of the point ; and thus put all his adversaries to silence. When the chief priests asked him " by what authority he did the things which they saw," he answered by putting another question to them : " The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men ?" And, when they saw to what a dilemma they were reduced, and declined giving him an answer, he disdained to give any reply to their question ; which, in fact, needed no answer at all ; for it was self-evident, that if John was indeed a prophet, as he had clearly proved himself to be, his testimony must be received; and Jesus, of whose Messiahship he had testified, must be the Messiah.
Thus, then, have we shewn, that there was no necessity for Elijah personally to come, in order to fulfil this prophecy : it was sufficient that John came " in the spirit and poiver of Elijah," and fulfilled all that the person spoken of in my text was to execute. That he did this, he himself declared : and, when his testimony was appealed to as decisive, the Jews them- selves were put to silence. The objection, therefore, which the Jews found on this passage, is obviated ; and the truth of Christianity is proved from the very passage which the Jews adduce to overthrow it.]
The prophecy, however, may be considered yet further,
II. As illustrating the scope and intent of Chris- tianity—
* Isai. xl. 3. with John i. 22, 23.