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the Messiahship , and , on the other , in rescuing that title frdm the gross misapprehensions connected with it . And how did he act in these difficult circumstances ? The Scriptures tell us he performed repeated and varied miracles , which elicited from the people the obvious remark—* ¦ Is not this the Christ ? ' and induced them to express their belief that he-was so by hanging
upon his footsteps wherever he went , and listening attentively to his preaching ; while they also inform us that he dealt most plainly with these falsely expecting followers , warning them even in repulsive and revolting terms that they must 4 leave all they had / must * hate' their nearest relatives , must ' take up their cross , ' and ' despise life / if they would be his disciples . And
then we read that the zeal of the worldly proselytes cooled . With his twelve apostles , impressed as they were , like their countrymen , with the same unworthy notions , our Saviour was perfectly explicit , though ( strange as we may think it ) without entirely dispossessing them of their prejudices . That they believed him to be the Christ is plain from Peter ' s confession in the presence of the rest , and our Lord ' s commendation of it . Often
did he tell them that * Christ should suffer ; ' and if they did not or would not appreciate or believe what he said , it was not for want of plainness on his part , but through the unconquerable power of prejudice in them . He did not , indeed , generally avow
himself in public to be the Christ , —he did to the woman of Samaria , — -he did to several persons , whom he cured ,- *— he did to Pilate when he was arraigned ; but , generally , he refrained from publicly claiming the title ; and when Peter had made his memorable confession , Jesus charged his disciples not to tell any man that he was the Christ . We need not seek far to understand the
prudence of this reserve . Without it , he might needlessly have precipitated his own fate ; for the avowal of his Messiahship would have been interpreted by the Roman government as it was understood by the people , and the accusation would have been earlier laid against him , that whoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Csesar . ' That this prudent reserve as to the use of an official title not understood was no sign of cowardice ,
the closing events of our Lord ' s life sufficiently prove : that he was guilty of no dissimulation in it is evident from hence , that throughout his public ministry he was always understood by the people in general to lay claim td the office . * Is not this the Christ ? ' * Do the rulers know , indeed , that this is the very Christ ? ' On the supposition that he claimed to be so regarded ,
the Jewish rulers had framed their persecuting edict , * That if any man did confess that he was Christ , he should be put out of the synagogue . ' ( John ix % 22 . ) The only thing required by sincerity on our Lord ' s part was to disclaim by actions and by words the temporal power , and greatness which were supposed tQ belong to the Kingdom of heaven . I have alluded to his mode of speaking
Untitled Article
784 Orthodoxy and Unbelief .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1832, page 784, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1824/page/64/
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