"others fullenly refufing to join in it? "And when to engage their fancies and "meet their humours, the fictitious repre"fentation of fome forrowful circumftance was begun; have you not marked the

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unconquerable perverfenefs with which they withheld their attention? Thus diffatisfied, thus obftinate, thus unconquerably perverfe, have you proved your"felves in your proceedings with respect to

John the Baptift and myself. God, foli"citous that you fhould be converted and "live, has preffed upon your acceptance "the only method of falvation, falvation

through my blood, the blood of the Lamb "of God which taketh away the fins of

the world, by two meffengers, widely "differing cach from the other in appearance and in habits of life. John the Baptift came neither eating bread, nor drinking "wine. He came not in soft clothing, and living delicately. He difclaimed not

merely regal manfions, but the customary "abodes of men. His raiment was fack

cloth, of camels' hair: his meat locufts and "wild honey: from his birth he tasted not "wine nor ftrong drink. His dwelling "was in the wilderness: and in the wilder"nefs he fhewed himself to Ifrael under

"the

"the auftere femblance of Elijah. How were you impreffed by his folemn de

meanour, his abstraction from the world, "his unbending felf-denial? Under all "these characteristic marks did you acknow

ledge the preacher of Repentance? Ye "faid, He hath a Devil. You exclaimed, "He is mad: he renounces the common "comforts of life: he is a morofe and fu"perftitious fanatic. He is under the de"luding power of an evil fpirit. Let him "preach to the defert: regard him not. "Then came the Son of Man eating and "drinking. Then began I my ministry

among you: then proclaimed I grace " and life eternal. As the meffenger and "the author of peace and joy and enduring happiness, I have fhunned all tokens "of aufterity. I have adopted no peculiarity of apparel. I have frequented "your cities. I have not refufed invita"tions to your houses. I have gratefully

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rigour.

accepted and temperately used the ordi66 nary gifts of God. I have ftudied not to shock your prejudices by unnecessary I have endeavoured that my private deportment as well as my public preaching should conciliate you to faith 66 and holiness. What has been the confe"quence?

14

"quence? How have you received me? "Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber;

friend of publicans and finners. Those 66 very circumftances in my conduct which were calculated for the purpose of win

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66

ning your regard, and diffusing instruc"tion with greater efficacy, you have' "twisted into pretexts for calumny, and

urge as reasons for denying me to be the "Meffiah. This Jefus of Nazareth, you exclaim, maintains not that ftrictness of

manners, that severe fanctity of conduct, "which become a prophet, and are indif"penfable in one who announces himself

as more than a prophet. He is a frequenter of feafts, and from motives, we "doubt not, of fenfuality. The man is a finner, and a companion of finners; an "affociate even of the unhallowed publicans, "whom Ifraelite of common piety every "abhors, whom the Son of God would inftantaneously drive from his presence. "Thus ye revile and reject my forerunner "and myself. From oppofite proceedings

you equally deduce pretences for flander, "and excufes for hardness of heart. No "meffenger can be acceptable to thofe, who "are determined to fhut their ears to the meffage. No preacher can render reli

"gion

1

"gion pleafing to men who wilfully aban"don themselves to the power of fin. But ❝ does your refufal to hearken and obey

"shake the truth of our doctrines and de"nunciations? What if you do not be"lieve? Shall your unbelief make the faith "of God of none effect? No. Wifdom is justified of her children. They who "labour to prepare their hearts for the re"ception of religion, fhall glorify religion. "Salvation through a crucified Redeemer, "which to your pride is a ftumbling block, "and to the pride of others fhall appear "foolishness; shall be welcomed by the "humble and contrite as the power of God " and the wifdom of God. They who are willing to hearken with the teachable fpirit of children to the inftruction of heavenly wisdom, and with the affec❝tionate earneftness of children fhall con"form their ways to her commands; they "shall adore the length and breadth and

depth and height of the unfearchable riches "of Chrift: they fhall juftify the ways of "their heavenly Father, who, while he "hideth his counfels from thofe who in "their own fight are wife and prudent, "revealeth them unto babes. VOL. II. E

II. How

II. How fhall we apply to our edification the leffons which this portion of holy Scripture conveys?

Firft: Let us confider it as a very unfavourable symptom of the ftate of our hearts, if we difcover in ourselves a propenfity to cavil at religion; and to impute blame to thofe perfons, whether ministers of the Gofpel, or individuals among the laity, who by holiness of life and converfation, confpicuoufly demonftrate the power of faith. Since the day when Christianity was promulgated, to raife falfe accufations against the fervants of God has been a diftinguishing feature in the conduct of the wicked. Some of the calumnies diffeminated by the Jews against John the Baptift and against our Lord have recently been produced. From other paffages in the Gofpels we learn that the enemies of Christ feized every fpecious occafion of loading him with opprobrious names and imputations; of representing him as an impoftor, as a mover of sedition, as a confpirator against Cæfar, as a despiser of the Sabbath, as a blafphemer of the temple, as a confederate with Beelzebub. Spontaneously vanquished for a feafon by lies and, the father of lies, Jefus Chrift gives up the ghoft. Malignity purfues his Apoftles.

Has