CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

Thirdly, Take notice, That a Knowledge or belief that there is a Messiah, is not enough, unless we believe that person called Jesus, to be Christ; For he doth not say, This is Eternal Life to believe a Christ, but that Jesus is Christ; The Jews to this day believe there will be a Messiah, all their hope and expectation is for such an one, but yet the Apostle saith, they are cast off by God for the present, that they are branches broken off from the Olive, Rom. 11. and why? because they err in two particulars: 1. They deny that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary to be the Messiah, Therefore they will not believe the promises to be fulfilled in him. And 2. They look for a temporal Messiah, who shall restore them from bodily captivity, not for a Saviour in a spiritual sense. Indeed before Christ came into the flesh, then a belief and expectation of a Messiah was enough, as appears by Simeons Song, Luk. 2.34. who was one of the expectants for Christ, and when he saw him then desired to depart in peace, but now since he is come, it's necessary to salvation to believe that Person born of the Virgin Mary, and crucified by the Jews under Pilate, was the true and promised Messiah, Therefore a great part of the Apostles Ministry was to prove that Jesus was the Christ.

Thirdly, Take notice, That a Knowledge or belief that there is a Messias, is not enough, unlesse we beleeve that person called Iesus, to be Christ; For he doth not say, This is Eternal Life to beleeve a Christ, but that Jesus is Christ; The Jews to this day beleeve there will be a Messias, all their hope and expectation is for such an one, but yet the Apostle saith, they are cast off by God for the present, that they are branches broken off from the Olive, Rom. 11. and why? because they erre in two particulars: 1. They deny that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary to be the Messiah, Therefore they will not beleeve the promises to be fullfilled in him. And 2. They look for a temporall Messiah, who shall restore them from bodily captivity, not for a Saviour in a spiritual sence. Indeed before Christ came into the flesh, then a belief and expectation of a Messiah was enough, as appears by Simeons Song, Luk. 2.34. who was one of the expectants for Christ, and when he saw him then desired to depart in peace, but now since he is come, it's necessary to salvation to beleeve that Person born of the Virgin Mary, and crucified by the Jews under Pilate, was the true and promised Messias, Therefore a great part of the Apostles Ministry was to prove that Jesus was the Christ.