whofe fhoes latchet he was not worthy to unloofe ;* one fo infinitely fuperior to him in rank, authority, and wisdom, that he was not fit to perform for him even the most servile offices. He himself was only come as a humble messenger to announce the arrival of his Lord, and smooth the way before him. But the great perfonage to whom they were to direct their eyes, and in whom they were to centre all their hopes, was JESUS CHRIST. Is this now the language of a man who fought only for honor, emolument, or fame, or was actuated only by the fond ambition of being at the head of a fect? No one can think fo. It is not very usual furely for men of any character, much lefs for men of the best character, to invent and to utter a ftring of falfehoods with the profeffed defign of degrading themselves and exalting fome other perfon. Yet this was the plain tendency and avowed object of John's declarations, and the effect was exactly what might be expected, and what he wifhed and intended, namely, that great numbers deferted him and followed Christ.† But befides bearing this honest and difinterested teftimony to Chrift, the Baptist hazarded a measure which no impoftor or enthusiast ever ventured upon, without being immediately detected and expofed. He ventured to deliver two prophecies concerning Chrift; prophecies too which were to be completed, not at fome diftant period, when both he and his hearers might be in their graves, and the prophecy itself for got, but within a very short space of time, when every one who heard the prediction might be a witness to its accomplishment or its failure. He foretold, that Jefus fhould baptize with the Holy Ghoft and with fire, and that he should be offered up as a facrifice for the fins of mankind. These were very fingular things for a man to foretel at hazard and from conjecture, because nothing could be more remote from the ideas of a Jew, or more unlikely to happen in the common course of things. They were moreover of that peculiar nature, that it was utterly impoffible for John and Jefus to concert the matter between themselves; for the completion of the prophecies did not depend folely on them, but required the concurrence of other agents, of the Holy Ghoft in the first * Mark, i. 7. Luke, iii. 16. † John, iii. 26, 30; iv. x. John, i. 29. inftance, and of the Jews and the Roman governor in the other; and unless these had entered into a confederacy with the Baptift and with Chrift, to fulfil what John foretold, it was not in the power of either to secure the completion of it. Yet both these prophecies were, we know, actually accomplished within a very few years after they were delivered; for our Lord fuffered death upon the cross for the redemption of the world; and the Holy Ghoft defcended visibly upon the apostles in the semblance of fire on the day of Pentecost.* It is evident then that the Baptist was not only a good man, but a true prophet; and for both reasons, his teftimony in favor of Chrift, that he was the Son of God, affords an inconteftible proof that both he and his religion came from heaven. 2. The history of the Baptist affords a proof alfo of an other point of no fmall importance. It gives a strong confirmation to that great evangelical doctrine, the doctrine of atonement; the expiation of our fins by the facrifice of Chrift upon the crofs. We are often told, that there was no need for this expiation. That repentance and reformation are fully fufficient to restore the most abandoned finners to the favor of a just and merciful God, and to avert the punishment due to their offences. But what does the great herald and forerunner of Christ fay to this? He came profeffedly as a preacher of repentance. This was his peculiar office, the great object of his miffion, the conftant topic of his exhortations. "Repent ye, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance." This was the unceafing language of "the voice crying in the wilderness." If then repentance alone had sufficient efficacy for the expiation of fin, furely we fhould have heard of this from him who came on purpose to preach repentance. But what is the cafe? Does he tell us that repentance alone will take away the guilt of our tranfgreffions, and juftify us in the eyes of our Maker? Quite the contrary. Notwithstanding the great Matth. iii, 24, 8. * Acts, ii, 2. ftrefs he juftly lays on the indifpenfable neceffity of repentance, yet he tells his followers at the fame time, that it was to Chrift only, and to his death, that they were to look for the pardon of their fins. "Behold," fays he, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world!"* And again, “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son hath not life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."+ Since then the expiation of fin by the facrifice of Chrift is a doctrine not only taught in the Gofpel itself, but enforced alfo by him who came only to prepare the way for it; it is evident, from the care taken to apprize the world of it even before Christianity was promul gated, how important and effential a part this must be of that divine religion. Laftly, it will be of use to obferve, what the particular method was which John made use of to prepare men for the reception and the belief of the Gofpel; for whatever means he applied to the attainment of that end, the fame probably we shall find the most efficacious for a fimilar purpose at this very day. Now it is evident that the Baptift addreffed himself, in the first instance, not to the understanding, but to the heart. He did not attempt to convince his hearers, but to reform them; he did not fay to them, go and study the prophets, examine with care the pretenfions of him whom I announce, and weigh accurately all the evidences of his divine miffion; he well knew how all this would end, in the then corrupt state of their minds. His exhortation was therefore," Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." It was on this principle he reproved with fo much feverity the pharifees and fadduces who came to his baptifm, whom one would think he fhould rather have encouraged and commended, and received with open arms. "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance."‡ Till you have done this, till you have purified your hearts and abandoned your fins, my baptifm will be of no use to you, and all the reafoning in the world will have no effect upon you.. In perfect John, iii. 36. Matth. iii. 7, 8. * Luke, i. 29. conformity to this, Jofephus informs us, that John exhorted the Jews not to come to his baptifm, without first preparing themselves for it by the practice of virtue, by a strict adherence to the rules of equity and juftice in their dealings with one another, and by manifefting a fincere piety towards God. This is the preparation he required; and thus it is that we alfo must prepare men for the reception of divine truth. We must first reform, and then convince them. It is not in general the want of evidence, but the want of virtue that makes men infidels; let them cease to be wicked, and they will foon cease to be unbelievers. "It is with the heart," fays St. Paul (not with the head)" that man believeth unto righteousness."* Correct the heart, and all will go right. Unless the foil is good, all the feed you caft upon it will be wafted in vain. In the parable of the fower we find, that the only feed which came to perfection was that which fell on good ground, on an honest and a good heart. This is the first and most essential requifite to belief. Unbelievers complain of the mysteries of revelation; but we have the highest authority for faying, that in general the only mystery which prevents them from receiving it, is the mystery of iniquity. We hear, indeed, a great deal of the good nature, the benevolence, the generofity, the humanity, the honor, and the other innumerable good qualities of thofe that reject the Gofpel; and they may poffibly poffefs fome oftentatious and popular virtues, and may keep clear from flagrant and difreputable vices. But whether fome grofs depravity, fome inveterate prejudice, or some leaven of vanity and self-conceit, does not commonly lurk in their hearts, and influence both their opinions and their practices, they who have an extenfive acquaintance with the writings and the conduct of that clafs of men will find no difficulty in deciding. If however this was the decifion of man only, the juftness of it might be controverted, and the competency of the judge denied. It might be said, that it is unbecoming and prefumptuous in any human being to pass severe cenfures on large bodies of men; and that without being able to look into the heart of man, it is impoffible to form a right judgment of his moral charac * Rom. x. 10. * ter. This we do not deny. But if he who actually has that power of looking into the heart of man, if he who is per, fectly well acquainted with human nature, and all the vari ous characters of men; if he has declared that men love darknefs rather than light, because their deeds are evil, who will controvert the truth of that decifion? On this authority then we may fecurely rely, and may reft affured, that whatever pretences may be fet up for rejecting revelation, the grand obftacles to it are, indolence, indifference, vice, paffion, prejudice, felf-conceit, pride, vanity, love of fingularity, a difdain to think with the vulgar, and an ambition to be confidered as fuperior to the reft of mankind in genius, penetra tion, and difcernment. It is by removing thefe impediments in the first place that we must prepare men, as St. John did, for embracing the religion of Christ. These (to make use of prophetic language) are the mountains that must be made low; these the crooked paths that must be made straight; thefe the rough places that must be made plain. Then all difficulties will be removed, and there will be A HIGH WAY FOR OUR GOD. Then there will be a smooth and easy ap proach for the Gospel to the understanding, as well as to the heart; there will be nothing to oppose its conquest over the foul. THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL FULLY BE RE VEALED, AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT.† |