different occasions did the Father bear testimony to Jesus by an audible voice from heaven ; and every time was either in, or immediately after, prayer b. What an evidence does this afford us of the importance and efficacy of prayer ! And who that lives nigh to God in the exercise of that duty, has not found that promise realized, " Thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I amc ?" Audible voices, indeed, we are not to expect ; but we are sure that "God has never said to any, Seek ye my face in vain."]
There was something peculiar also in the manner of it —
[It was of great importance that the attestation thus publicly given to the character of Jesus should be such as could admit of no doubt. Accordingly " the heavens were opened," just as they afterwards were at the time of Stephen's death*1, so that the very throne of God, as it were, became visible to mortal eyes ; and the Holy Ghost descended visibly, in a bodily appearance, and abode upon him. Whether the Holy Ghost assumed the shape of a dove, or only appeared in a luminous body with a hovering motion, like that of a dove, we do not take upon us to determine6 : but the appearance was such as could leave no doubt in the minds of the spectators that there was a special communication to Jesus from heaven, even such a communication as had never before been vouchsafed to mortal man.]
But the ends of the Spirit's descent are most worthy of our attention —
[We are sure that it was designed to confirm the Baptist' 's mind. The providence of God had so ordered events, that John and Jesus, though related to each other, had lived thirty years in the world without forming any acquaintance with each other. Had they been intimate with each other, it might have been thought that an agreement had been formed between them to deceive the world : but John had no knowledge of the person of Jesus, till he was inspired to point him out as " the Lamb of God, that was to take away the sin of the world :" and this very sign was promised to John, as the means whereby his mind should be satisfied that the testimony which he had borne was true : and John himself declares, that his own conviction of Christ's Messiahship was grounded on this very thing f.
But there was another end, even the inauguration of the Messiah himself to his high office. The Jewish kings and
b At his baptism (see the text), at his transfiguration (Luke ix. 29, 35.), and just before his death (John xii. 28.).
c Isai. lviii. 9. and lxv. 24. • d Acts vii. 55, 56.
e We rather think the latter. See Doddridge on the place. { John i. 32—31.