The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECTION XXXI.

LUKE Chap. VII. from vers. 18. to ver. 36.

MATTH. Chap. XI. from ver. 2. to ver. 20.

JOHNS Message to Christ •• Christs testimony of John.

THE Transition of Luke from the Stories before, about the raising of the dead man and healing the Centurions Servant, And the Disciples of John shewed him of all these things, doth confirm the order.

JOHN from Machaerus Castle where he lay Prisoner, sendeth two of his Disciples to Christ to enquire of him, Whether he were he that should come; Not that John was ignorant who he was, having had so many demonstrations of him as he had had, and having given so ample testimony of him as he had done, Joh. 1. 34, 36. & 3. 29, 30. Nor that Johns Dis∣ciples were so wilfully ignorant of him as not to be perswaded by their Master that he was he, but his message to him seems to this purpose; John and his Disciples had heard of the great and many miracles that Christ had done, healing the sick, and raising the dead, &c. and it may be, they thought it strange that Christ amongst all his miraculous workings, would not work Johns liberty out of thraldom, who lay a prisoner for him, and for the Gospel he preached before him: And this, may be, was the bottom of their question, Art thou he that shall come, or look we for another? As expecting somewhat more from the Messias, then they had yet obtained. They received a full answer to their question by the miracles they saw wrought, which abundantly proved that he was he that was to come. But as to their expectation of his miraculous enlargement of John, his answer was, that his work was to preach the Gospel, and that it was a blessed thing not to take any offence at him, but to yield and submit to his wise dispensations. And accordingly when the messengers of John were returned, he giveth a glorious testimony concerning him to the people, but yet sheweth how far one truly and fully acquainted and stated in the Kingdom of Heaven, went beyond him in judging of it, who looked for temporal redemption by it.

The Method of Matthew is somewhat difficult here, but he seemeth purposely to have joyned the mission of Christs Disciples and Johns Disciples together. I suppose Christ was at Jerusalem when Johns messengers came to him: and if it were at the feast of Pentecost, John had then been seven or eight months in prison.