Now mark the Answer that Christ gives unto John's Messengers, Jesus Answered and said unto ⟨p. 234⟩them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see, the Blind receive their sight, and the Lame walk, and the Lepers are cleansed, and the Deaf hear, and the Dead are raised, and the Poor have the Gospel Preached to them: And as some of the Evangelists have it, Poor receive the Gospel. Observe why Christ brings this, He brings it in as an Argument that he was the Messiah. John would know whether He was the Messiah: How shall he know it? Why go and tell him, The Blind receive their sight, the Lame walk, the Lepers are cleansed, the Deaf hear, the Dead are raised. These are good Arguments to prove that Christ was the Messiah. If Christ could Work such Miracles as to give sight to the Blind, to make the Lame to walk, to cleanse the Lepers, to cause the Deaf to hear, and to raise the Dead; these indeed were good Arguments. But how comes in the last, And the Poor receive the Gospel? How is this an Argument that Christ is the Messiah? One would think that this should rather be an Argument, that He is not the Messiah. They might say, I indeed, there are these great things done by Him, but there is one thing makes us suspect that He is not the Messiah: For our Great, Rich, and Learned Men, they do not receive Him, only a Company of poor Ignorant People, this Vulgar sort: For so was the Arguing of the Pharisees there, in John 7. 48. say they, (when the Officers were Affected with the Ministry of Christ) Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him? Have any of them Believed on Him? But this People that knoweth not the Law, are Cursed. Only a Company of poor Ignorant People, they believe on Christ. But the Rulers, have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees, the Great Men, and the Rich Men, the Learned Men, Have they believed? You ⟨p. 235⟩see that this was a Stumbling-block, whereby they would persuade Men, that Christ was not the Messiah. But mark, That which Men make the great Stumbling-block, why Christ is not the Messiah, that Christ makes unto John the great Argument, why He was the Messiah: Because the Poor receive the Gospel. And Christ doth put this among his other Miracles. And you will say, How is this an Argument?
Now mark the Answer that Christ gives unto John's Messengers, Jesus Answered and said unto ⟨p. 234⟩them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see, the Blind receive their sight, and the Lame walk, and the Lepers are cleansed, and the Deaf hear, and the Dead are raised, and the Poor have the Gospel Preached to them: And as some of the Evangelists have it, Poor receive the Gospel. Observe why Christ brings this, He brings it in as an Argument that he was the Messiah. John would know whether He was the Messiah: How shall he know it? Why go and tell him, The Blind receive their sight, the Lame walk, the Lepers are cleansed, the Deaf hear, the Dead are raised. These are good Arguments to prove that Christ was the Messias. If Christ could Work such Miracles as to give sight to the Blind, to make the Lame to walk, to cleanse the Lepers, to cause the Deaf to hear, and to raise the Dead; these indeed were good Arguments. But how comes in the last, And the Poor receive the Gospel? How is this an Argument that Christ is the Messias? One would think that this should rather be an Argument, that He is not the Messias. They might say, I indeed, there are these great things done by Him, but there is one thing makes us suspect that He is not the Messias: For our Great, Rich, and Learned Men, they do not receive Him, only a Company of poor Ignorant People, this Vulgar sort: For so was the Arguing of the Pharisees there, in John 7. 48. say they, (when the Officers were Affected with the Ministry of Christ) Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him? Have any of them Believed on Him? But this People that knoweth not the Law, are Cursed. Only a Company of poor Ignorant People, they believe on Christ. But the Rulers, have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees, the Great Men, and the Rich Men, the Learned Men, Have they believed? You ⟨p. 235⟩see that this was a Stumbling-block, whereby they would perswade Men, that Christ was not the Messias. But mark, That which Men make the great Stumbling-block, why Christ is not the Messias, that Christ makes unto John the great Argument, why He was the Messias: Because the Poor receive the Gospel. And Christ doth put this among his other Miracles. And you will say, How is this an Argument?
