turbing either the peace of private consciences, or the public repose, by condemning necessary employments, that he ought carefully to promote both, by contenting himself with only retrenching the disorders and injustice of those who exercise them. To be exact in not permitting any abuses in employments of this nature, is to serve the state and those loose casuists, who allow and authorize them, are pernicious to governments, by rendering these employments odious to the people, by favoring their murmurings, by encouraging acts of injustice, and thereby giving occasion to rebellion and revolt.

ceit and hypocrisy shall not stand before | John, should distinguish the abuses of any him. "His fan in his hand, and he will state or condition of life from the condithoroughly purge his floor," sifting and tion itself; he should be so far from diswinnowing that which is good from that which seems to be so; "and he will gather his wheat into his garner," translate to heaven all that is pure, substantial, and fruitful; but he will "burn up the chaff," whatsoever is fallacious, light, empty, and barren, "with unquenchable fire" in hell. Such a discourse from such a person occasioned great searchings in the hearts of the people. They found all the vain opinions and presumptions, on which they had been accustomed to rely, suddenly taken from them, and nothing left but to put themselves forthwith under the direction of so holy and heavenly a preacher. With fear and trembling they applied to him, as the affrighted jailer afterwards did to Paul and Silas, saying, "What shall we do then?" And when a penitent will ask advice of his spiritual guide, with a determined resolution to follow it, he is not far from the kingdom of God. He is sensible of his disease; and that, in the maladies of the mind, is half the cure. St. John, in his answer, enjoins not legal, but evangelical sacrifices, exhorting his converts to show the sincerity of their conversion by loving their neighbors and relieving their necessities, as God had loved and relieved them. "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat let him do likewise." These works of feeding and clothing the poor, including all other acts of mercy under them, are mentioned, as being the most necessary and indispensable; "and he," says a pious writer upon this passage, "who is not moved with his brother's misery, deserves to find God unmoved with his own." Among others that came to be baptized, were some publicans, or tax-gatherers; a set of men, whose employment rendered them odious, as it often tempted them to court the favor of those who employed them, or to gratify their own avarice, by fleecing the people. These also were importunate with St. John, saying, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you." The reflections of the writer above cited, upon this case of the publicans and the following one of the soldiers, are so extremely sensible, judicious, and pertinent, that the reader will have an obligation to me, for presenting him with them, nearly as I find them. A wise preacher, like St.

Luke, iii. 10, &c.

"And

"And the soldiers demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages." St. John here, in the last place, regulates the duties of military persons, and shows, that no condition is excluded from salvation. The business of war is not in itself at all opposite thereto; since there have been not only Christian soldiers, but even great saints, and generous martyrs, of that profession. If all war was contrary to the Gospel, St. John would not have allowed those, who presented themselves before him, to continue in that state. However, it is certainly full of obstacles to salvation, which are with difficulty surmounted. A state, which is generally embraced either out of passion, or libertinism, or through a blind destination of birth, the exercises whereof are so violent and tumultuous, agrees but little with the exercises of Christianity, or the spirit of the Gospel, which is all peace, charity, and meekness. It is notwithstanding just and necessary, that there should be men to defend the state; but it is still more just and necessary, that this should not be done at the expense of salvation. The grace of God can do every thing: this is what ought to comfort those who intend to serve him, in serving their king and country."

*

One cannot but observe the general agreement and harmony which seem to have prevailed, at this time, among men, otherwise of tempers and dispositions very different from, and opposite to, each other. Jews and Gentiles, Pharisees and Publicans, Sadducees and Soldiers, all confess their sins, and participate of the same baptism; all struck with apprehensions of some impending evil, all flying from the wrath to come; forgetting heirt

Quesnel.

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mutual hostilities and antipathies, and, like And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it the creatures in the days of Noak, taking re- to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfuge together in the ARK. As if the prophecy fil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." of Isaiah had now begun to receive its ac- Jesus Christ, as condescending to stand complishment, the publicans, who, before the charged with our sins, and, to that end, bepreaching of John, were ravenous as evening ing "made under the law," was to fulfil the wolves," became innocent as the "lamb." "righteousness" of the law, as it consisted in The soldiers, who had been formerly fierce an obedience to ceremonial rites, as well as and cruel as the "lion," became tame and moral precepts. In the character and capatractable as the "ox," and submitted their city of our substitute, he underwent circumnecks to the yoke of the Gospel. Such of the cision, although he had no sin of his own to Pharisees likewise, who, before their baptism be cut off; and received baptism, although had been venomous as the "asp," or "cocka- he had no pollution of his own to be washed trice," did, by the worthy receiving of this away. What Christian can slight the ordibaptism, and the grace which God gave them, nances of the church, when he sees the Rebecome mild and gentle as the "sucking in- deemer, for his sake, submitting to observe fant," or "weaned child."* them all?

The concord thus produced in Judea by No sooner was Jesus baptized, but he "came the sermons of St. John, and the tranquillity up straightway "out of the river, like another which the whole earth then enjoyed, sitting Joshua, leading his people, through the waquiet, as it were, in expectation of her Lord, ters of Jordan, to the land of promise. And betokened the manifestation of the prince of as he was " praying," doubtless for success in peace. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee the great work he had undertaken, “ Lo, the to Jordan to John, to be baptized of him."† heavens were opened, and the Spirit of After thirty years passed in retirement at God," encompassed, we may presume, with Nazareth, the blessed Jesus was now to break a blaze of glory, "descended in a bodily forth, like the sun from a cloud, or a stream shape like a dove," speaking better things from the bowels of the earth, to enlighten than that of Noah. In this form, emblematimankind by his doctrine, and refresh them cal of innocence and purity, it "lighted," with the influences of his grace. The mighty settled, and abode upon him; the Father thus concourse of all ranks and degrees of people at- consecrating him to his office, by anointing tending St. John at the river Jordan, render- him with the Holy Ghost and with power,” † ed that the fittest place where he might first as the legal ministers were anointed with show himself to the world. He who knew oil. And that no doubt might remain, the no sin, but was to take away the sins of all other men, presented himself in the crowd of sinners, as one of them, and solicited "the baptism of repentance," not that water might sanctify him, but that he might "sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin." Confounded at the thought of the Master being baptized by the servant, St. John at first" forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

* See the Works of Dr. Thomas Jackson, ii. 522. † Matt. iii. 13, &c.

appearance was farther explained by " a voice from heaven," saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Such are the blessings which, in effect, do always attend the divine sacraments, when duly administered, with prayer. For then the heavens are opened, and the Spirit is given, to conform us to the image of a meek and holy Saviour, and, through him, to make us acceptable in the sight of God.

SECTION VI.

Considerations on the testimony borne by St. John, at different times, to the Messiahship of Jesus.

WHEN a servant of God, through the power of divine grace, hath made some proficiency in holiness, and seeth the world and the flesh under his feet, it is not uncommon for his third enemy, the devil, to set upon him, and prevail over him, by puffing him up with a conceit of his own excellency, and so rendering his very attainments an occasion of his falling. The hurt which a man receives, in such a case, is proportionable to the height from which he falls; as hell was first prepared for the tempter himself, because he fell from heaven.

of the prophets," whom as it appears by Matt. xvi. 14, the Jews looked for to arise from the dead. "And he answered, No."

What

To all these inquiries, made by the priests and Levites deputed from the Sanhedrim, St. John returned answers which were true, but concise as possible, that they might take no advantage of his words, being aware that they grew envious of his fame, jealous for their own authority, and fearful of a Messiah, who would not answer their hopes, by gratifying their avarice and ambition. "Then said they to him, Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as saith the prophet Esaias." This was informing them plainly enough, that the prophecies were soon to be accomplished by the manifestation of Messiah; and that repentance, according to his doctrine, and baptism, was the only preparation fit and necessary to be made for the reception of their King.

It is not, therefore, the least conspicuous part of St. John's character, that a sanctity so extraordinary was not in him accompanied with any degree of pride, a worm which often cankers the fairest fruits that grow in the garden of God. He heard his own praise echoed from every quarter, and "all men,' struck with admiration at what was about to happen, "mused in their hearts concerning him, whether he was the Christ."* Nay, the Sanhedrim, that they might be resolved in so important a point, sent a formal depu- "They who were sent were of the Pharitation of "priests and Levites from Jerusalem, sees," and consequently could not relish tidto inquire of him, Who art thou." As the ings which put an end to all their schemes Baptist was, at that time, in high repute of temporal dominion, and earthly grandeur, among his countrymen, and as secular designs inculcating, instead of them, the duties of are sometimes covered with spiritual pre- mortification and self-denial. This was not tences, it is not impossible, but that they their system; and many, in every age since, might hope to flatter him into an acknow- have been of the same opinion, not caring to ledgment of his being some great one," receive Christ, unless he came to them with and to frame of him a Messiah adapted to the world in his hand. Finding, therefore, their purposes. But John was neither ambi- that John had no vanity to be worked upon, tious of an honor which did not belong to they had recourse to other measures, and him, nor ashamed of a Master, who was about began to dispute his commission to baptize; to appear in the form of a servant. He took " They asked him, and said unto him, "Why no glory to himself, but remitted it all where baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, he knew it to be due. "He confessed, and nor Elias, neither that phophet ?” denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?" that is, Elijah the Tishbite, whom they expected from heaven! "And he saith, I am not." "Art thou Ooops, the prophet," meaning probably Jeremias, or one

⚫ Luke, iii. 15

John, i. 19, &c.

St. John's reply shows his own humility, and, at the same time, bears testimony to the dignity of Jesus. "I indeed baptize you with water;" my baptism, like my preaching, is preparatory only, leading to another baptism of the Spirit, which shall cleanse the souls of penitents from every thing that defileth, through faith in Messiah and his heavenly

other's pretensions, St. John adds, “And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."

From this passage we learn, that the visible descent of the Spirit was the sign given to St. John, whereby he was to know the Messiah. Jesus was brought up at Nazareth; St. John was educated in the deserts; and it seems to have been so ordered by Providence, that no interview had passed between them, after they had arrived at years of maturity. When Jesus, therefore, came to be baptized, St. John had no knowledge of his person. But, probably, on making the inquiries, usual at baptism, into his profession, name, and place of abode, and finding likewise, that

doctrine. And this Messiah is not afar off, as you may imagine him to be; "there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;" he appears like other men, lowly, unattended, undistinguished; he doth not, as yet, think proper to manifest his power and glory; but hereafter you will find him to be far other than he seems. As to myself, of whom some are pleased to entertain a high opinion, I am nothing: "This is he, who, coming after me, is preferred before me," as much as the greatest master is preferred before the meanest of his servants, who is deemed unworthy to perform the least office about his person; "the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose." This testimony did St. John give to the Saviour of the world, in the audience of the priests, and Levites, and the people, "at Bethabara beyond Jordan, where he was baptizing." he had no sins to confess,* as all others had, Latent upon humbling himself, that his great Lord and Master might be exalted, he declared himself a messenger only, sent to prepare his ways; and every thing in him, and about him, spoke the same language.

"The next day," an opportunity offered itself of pointing out the person of Jesus to the people; "John seeth Jesus coming unto him," probably to acknowledge him as his friend, relation, and precursor; "and saith, Bebold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world :" Behold that blessed person prefigured in the law, and foretold by the prophets; one that is all meekness and innocence, patience and resignation, without of fence in his mouth, without guile or malice in his heart, without spot or blemish in soul or body; the Lamb, which Abraham told his son Isaac, that God would in time provide; the Lamb, by the sprinkling of whose blood, true Israelites are preserved from the destroyer; the sacrifice, on which are laid the iniquities of us all; the Saviour, who, by expiating, taketh away the sin of the world, and conferreth righteousness on them that will believe in him, and accept it from him, being conformed to his example of meekness and lowliness. This, O all ye that behold him, "this is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was," he existed, ages before me,' even from the beginning; he is fairer than the children of men, full of grace and truth; of divine glory, and celestial beauty.

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To guard against any suspicion of collusion between two persons, who, as relations, might be supposed to act in concert, and favor each

he saw reason sufficient to conclude, that this was the Christ; which might occasion his apology, "I have need to be baptized of thee," &c. And then, when Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit descended, and put the matter beyond all doubt. "I saw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God." So little account did these two wonderful personages make of their relation according to the flesh. From their infancy they had not conversed together; and when they met, it was in public, that John might bear his testimony; soon after which he was cast into prison, and saw Jesus no more. A higher, more important, and durable connection, than any formed by consanguinity, engaged his attention, as it should do that of all Christ's disciples, according to those deep and divine strains of St. Paul: "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for al', that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."†

The Baptist, having now lived to see the Lord's Christ, and show him to the world, was ready, like old Simeon, to depart in peace, and to make over his disciples to a better Master, who would never leave them, nor forsake them. "Again, the next day

See Annotations on St. John's Gospel, by the
Rev. Mr. Merrick, Part. II. p. 50, and the Works of
Dr. Jackson, by him referred to, Vol. II, p. 518.
† 2 Cor. v. 14.

after, John stood, and two of his disciples; | for me; "a man can receive," or take to and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he himself, "nothing, except it be given him saith, Behold the Lamb of God." Happy from above." And ye know the character the Christian minister, who, like St. John, lives only to point out the Saviour to his people. And happy the people, who, like the two disciples, thereupon follow Jesus, inquire where he dwelleth, enter in, and abide with him.

But he was not framed of materials liable" He that is of the earth is earthly, and speakto take fire from such a spark. On the contrary, a perusal of the discourse which this address procured from him, is enough at any time to extinguish it, where it may have fallen. He made use of the incident, to bear his last and most noble testimony to the power and majesty of his Lord. So far was he from being offended, or chagrined, because all men resorted to Jesus, that he triumphed in it, as his glory and his joy, as the very end for which he was sent into the world, to preach and to baptize. As if he had said—