gladly. While the proud Pharisee, and priest, and ruler despised him, they heard him gladly. And indeed the Christian religion, though it is a religion for all, is particularly a religion for the poor. It teaches them to bear their present burdens with patience, in hopes of deliverance beyond the grave. It teaches them that if they have no treasures here, they will have treasures of joy and happiness hereafter: that though poor, they may be rich in faith, and if they try to live as their Saviour lived, pure, holy, harmless, and undefiled, they will sit down in the kingdom of Heaven, while they, who despise them, will be shut out.

Our Saviour goes on to ask the people, why they went out into the wilderness, when they went into it, in order to be baptized by John. It was not out of curiosity, to see a reed shaken by the wind: it was not to see some great personage in fine clothes and gorgeous raiment. Such people

do not love wildernesses. It was, he tells them, to see a prophet; and he adds, to shew them, that they must not despise John because he was a poor prisoner, and liable every day to lose his head, to see one, who was much more than a prophet. He was the forerunner of our Lord himself: he baptized and prepared people for that gracious Lord Jesus Christ. He was the messenger of whom God had said, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Among all who are born of woman, there is not a greater than John the Baptist, our Saviour says, and then adds, that the poorest and meanest Christian is greater than he, because he follows Christ, believes in him, receives the Holy Spirit from him, and that Spirit is the cause, why God dwells in him, and he in God.

He that hath ears to hear, says our Saviour, let him hear. Open your ears to

hear the most wonderful and gracious message ever sent from Heaven to earth.

Our Saviour then goes on to tell the people, how light-minded and full of whims they who despised him were. They were like cross and ill-natured children, he says, whom nothing could please. If you pipe unto them, they will not dance: if you mourn unto them, they will not lament. Neither John nor Jesus could please some persons. They were displeased with John because he lived a severe, hard, retired life: they did not like Jesus, because he mixed with people of all descriptions, in order to do them good. They said he was a friend of publicans and sinners: he was amongst poor sinners (whom they would call heathens) and was as much a heathen as they. Gracious God: what a being is man. He is made up of contradictions. And some people will carry all their bad humours, tempers, and prejudices to the grave, and when they open their eyes in

hell, will find that by indulging such hu mours, they have made themselves fit companions for devils. But wisdom, true religion, will shew herself truly lovely in the end: she will shine equally bright and equally clear to the last, and will, whatever mode she takes to instruct and save mankind, be loved and approved by all her children.

Our Saviour concludes with finding most dreadful fault with the cities through which he had gone and in which he lived, because they had seen his mighty works, had heard his gracious words, and yet rerepented not; were still hardened in their sins, and refused to hear the voice of the divine charmer, though he charmed ever so wisely. He says, that it will fare better at the day of judgment, with those who had never heard of him, and therefore went on with their wickedness, than with those, who had heard him and seen him and yet repented not. Hear this, and attend

toit well. You had better have lived amongst savages and never heard of a Saviour, than lived in a Christian country, and not lived like Christians. The savage will meet with less punishment than the wicked Christian.

But if you are Christians and live like Christians, great will be your honour, exceeding great will be your reward. What may become in the next world of them to whom a Saviour has not been preached, I know not: But this I can tell you, that they, who know their Saviour here, and act, as if they knew him, doing no bad thing, will be known by him hereafter. And they, whom he knows, will be with him, will see his glory, and reign with him for ever and ever. These words are faithful and

true.

And now to God, &c.