Pharifees here; fo your Hearing it repeated to you in Chrift's Name, and from his Word, makes it his Queftion to you, hat think ye of Chrift? At fuch Solemnities as this, you have Occafion to hear much of Chrift; but now the Queftion is, What think ye of Chrift, of whom you hear fo much? Many, the more they hear of Chrift, the less they think of him; like Ifrael, when they had the Manna fo plentifully rained down about their Tent-doors, they thought very little of it: But Wo will be to you, who hear much of Chrift, and yet think little or nothing of him. If any Man love not our Lord Jefus Chrift, fays the, Apoftle, if he hath no Efteem of him, let him be Anathema Maran-atha. If you have the Sacramental Supper, in View, you know Chrift hath ordered you to fearch and try before-hand, faying, Let a Man examine him

felf, and fo let him eat: And now, if you would ex

amine to Purpofe, I cannot fee a more short and fubftantial Question in all the Bible, to try yourfelves by, than this is, Whas think ye of Chrift? Solomon fays, Prov. xxiii. 7. As a Man thinketh in his Heart, jo is be; where he declares the Man's State to be according as the Thoughts of his Heart go. Now, fo it is here; truly according as you think in your Heart, especially concerning Chrift, fo are you, and fo is your State In God's Sight: According as you think highly and duly of Chrift or not, fo are you either a gracious or a graceless Man, either a Believer or Unbeliever, either a Man fit to go to a Communion-table or not; and therefore enquire into it, What think ye of Chrift? The Trial here comes to a narrow Point, wherein God only can be the Witness, who will be the Judge. You may deceive Men with your Words and Works, which is all we have to know you by: But here you are called to try yourselves by your Thoughts, before that God that fearches the Heart, and fees the Thought, What think ye of Chrift?

The Occafion of Chrift's propounding this Question, was this. The Pharifees had propofed feveral Questions to him concerning the Law, by which they thought

to have expofed him, while they did but expofe them felves; particularly from Verfe 15. and downward, thinking to tangle him, they fent forth their Difciples with the Herodians, faying, Mafter, what thinkeft thou? Is it lawful to give Tribute to Cæfar or not? what is lawful? or, what fays the Law concerning this? Chrift answers the Question to their Aftonishment, and Confufion. Again, from Verfe 23. and downward, the Saducees, who denied the Refur rection, come to him with a Question on that Head; and they start a Difficulty out of the Law of Mofes, which they thought was irreconcilable with the Doctrine of the Refurrection: But Chrift answers that alfo, and puts them to Silence. Again afterwards, from Verfe 34. and downward, the Pharifees finding that the Sadducees were filenced by him, they gather together their Forces to puzzle and tempt him; and one of them, that was a Lawier, comes with another Queftion to him, faying, Mafter, what is the great Commandment in the Law? Now, they having asked fo many Questions at him, and he having anfwered them all, it was Time for him to ask them a Question; and he does it while they are gathered together in Confederacy against him; tho' their Forces were unite, and every one present to help another, yet he puzzles them; for God delights to baffle his Adverfaries, and conquer his Enemies, when they think themselves ftrongest, and have all the Advantages they can defire. Now, Christ asked them a Queftion, which they could eafily anfwer: It was a Question in their own Catechifm. What think ye of Chrift? And whofe Son is he? They answer truly according to Scripture, That he was the Son of David. This they were taught, from Pfal. lxxxix. 35, 36. and several other Places, fhewing, That the Mefias was to be the Seed of David, the Rod out of the Stem-of Jafe. But now Christ starts a Difficulty upon their Anfwer, which they could not eafily anfwer; nay, which filenced them, and all that fought Occafion against him, Ver. 43, 44. 45. If Chrift be David's Son, how then is he David's Lord? Chrift

did

did not hereby intend to infnare them as they did him, but to inftruct them in a neceffary Truth which they were to believe, namely, that the expected Meffias is God as well as Man, David's Lord as well as David's Son, and fo both the Root and Offspring of David, Rev. xxii. 16. Now, herein they were puzzled, and put to Silence. Many are proud of their Knowledge, because they can anfwer fome Questions of their Catechifm, as the Pharifees here did in general; but yet they have Reason to be ashamed of their Ignorance: For when the Question is opened up, they cannot confirm the Truth which they affirm, nor reconcile one Truth with another, no more than the Pharisees here could ; by which it was evident, that tho' they anfwered, yet they did not understand his Queftion, which he propofed, (1) More generally, What think ye of Chrift the Mefias? (2.) More particularly, Whofe Son is he? It is the Queftion, as propofed in general, that I confine my felf unto, yet not excluding the other Branch of it, as the Subject may bring it in. When Chrift propofed this Queftion to the Pharifees, What think ye of Chrift? No doubt they reckoned their Thoughts of the Meffias were very found and right every Way, while they thought he was the Son of David; but, like the damnably deluded Arian Doctors of our Day, they did not think fo highly of him, as to apprehend him to be the Son of God; they did not think fo honourably of him, as to own his being the fupreme God, equal with the Father; for all their Knowledge, there was more in that Question than they understood, What think ye of Chrift?

The Pharifees had asked Chrift feveral Queftions concerning the Law, and the great Precept of the Law; and now it was fit that Christ fhould ask them a Queftion concerning the great Promife of the Gofpel: They were fo taken up with the Law, they had no Thought of the Gofpel; they thought fo much of Mofes, that they had no Thought of Chrift; therefore fays he, What think ye of Chrift? Many are fo full of the Law, that they forget him, who is the End of the Law for Righ teoufness

teoufnefs to every One that believeth. Here is a Que tion to check the Pride of Legalifts, What think ye of Chrift? There is a Depth in every Place of Scripture, which though it seems to be very plain to the carnal Eye, yet the fpiritual Depth thereof cannot be founded without the Help of the Spirit of God: Thero is alfo a great Depth in this Queftion; Angels cannot found the Depth thereof, they pry into it, and cannot think enough of Chrift; they can never think too much of him: And what shall Men say in answer to it, What think ye of Chrift?

To divide this Text too critically, would, I fupE pofe, be the Way to confuse it; but I think every Word of it hath an Emphasis therein. 1. There is an Emphafis in the interrogative Particle What, What think ye of Chrift? what Place do you give him? f what Value do you put upon him? what Grandeur and Glory do you afcribe to him? what Efteem have you of him? And fo, 2. There is an Emphafis in the Verb think: Some think not of him at all, God c and Chrift is not in all their Thoughts; fome think I meanly, fome think bafely, fome think difhonourably, fome think hardly of him: But what think ye e? what is your Judgment of Chrift? what is your Opinion of him? what is your Sentiment of him? what is your Apprehenfion of him? how ftand you affected towards him? and what Confideration have you of him? 3. There is an Emphafis in the Pronoun ye: What think ye of Chrift? ye Pharifees and Sadducees, what think ye of Chrift? ye that are fo bufy in starting Questions about the Law, what think ye of Chrift the End of the Law? ye Legalifts and felf-righteous Perfons, what think ye of Chrift? Yea, tho' it was put to the Pharifees in particular, yet it concerns all in general. The tryingQuestion that is propofed for the Conviction of Hypocrites, and to find them out, is ufeful for the Confolation and Confirmation of Believers, and for difcovering their Uprightness. While the Daughters of Jen rufalem think no more of Chrift than of another Be

loved,

loved, faying, What is thy Beloved more than another? The Spoufe of Chrift thinks him to be the Chief among Ten Thoufands. Therefore it comes to you all, What think ye of Chrift, Believers and Unbelievers? Sure ly to them that believe he is precious. 4. There is an Emphasis in the Object or Matter of the Queftion, Christ what think ye of Chrift? what think ye of the Meffias ? what think ye of the Anointed of God, the Chrift of God? It is remarkable, Chrift fays not here, what think ye of me? but, what think ye of Chrift? that is, God's Anointed, and the Meffias pro mised to the Fathers: And hereby it is intimate to us, That as Chrift loves to magnify his Office, as the Sent and Sealed, and Anointed of God; fo we cannot have right and becoming Thoughts of him, unless we apt prehend him in his faving Offices, to which he is au thorized of the Father And fo, when he fays not What think ye of me? but, What think ye of Chrift he does not fimply commend himself, but his Father alfo, who anointed him to that Office; and himself, as bearing his Father's Commiffion, and invefted with his Authority to fave Sinners: What think ye of Chrift? Here is the proper Object of the Efteem of rational Creatures, and efpecially Mankind Sinners, on whom their Thoughts ought to be terminate. It is not, What think ye of God abfolutely confidered? for God out of Chrift is a confuming Fire. It is not, What think ye of Mojes? You magnify Mofes and the Law; but a greater than Mofes is here, even he by whom the Law is magnified and made honourable. It is not, What think ye of Minifters and their Sermons ? O they are nothing but the Image of Death without him; but the Queftion is, What think ye of Chriít? The Word itself is but a dead Letter without Chrift. It is a remarkable Saying that Chrift hath to that fame Purpofe, John v. 39. 40. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life, and they are they that teflify of me: And ye will not come to me that ye might have Life. You think you have etermal Life in the Scripture, but the Scripture teftifies

of