would say concerning them, willingly to object against, or think evil of His messengers. Seeing proofs enough as to the main point, that the Baptist and Jesus Christ had both come with a commission from above, and loving the mercy and truth spoken to their souls, they felt convinced, and held it as certain, that neither of them could possibly have come in a way more wisely chosen, or better adapted to promote the end of his mission. With respect to John, the voice of his cry had awakened them, when dead in trespasses and sins; it was fit, then, they were prompt to argue, that one appointed to alarm the guilty should be of an austere conversation. With respect to Jesus, the most gracious words were daily proceeding out of His mouth, not commonly denunciations of vengeance, but, persuasive calls to accept pardon and salvation; a demeanour, then, more accommodating and gentle was that which best became His preaching. In short, whereas the one was ordained to smite, the other to heal-the one to excite trembling, the other to comfort the tremblers-the aspect of severity wherewith John appeared, and that of mildness which Jesus usually wore, however obstinately blamed by those who were on the watch to find fault, were esteemed by humble men of heart, who would accept the salvation thus provided

for them, perfectly consistent with the Divine wisdom, and well adapted to their respective offices amongst mankind.

Thus, my brethren, was "wisdom justified of "all her children" in those early times of the gospel. Truly, they who called themselves wise men the wise in their own conceits-were turned backward: they accused John of having "a devil," and Jesus of being "a glutton"ous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publi"cans and sinners." But the whole number

of the willing and obedient, perceived the appearance of both to have been ordered by God in the wisest manner for their good, and for bringing them by the right way unto Himself. Wherefore, they justified the whole procedure, making their boast in it, as one to be admired, in contradiction to the multitude of scorners. Also they justified it by framing their behaviour on a corresponding plan of mingled selfdenial and freedom, after that which had been presented to their view.

Concerning, now, the present generation, they, it is to be feared, are hitherto numerous, whom our Lord, were he still conversing on the earth, might justly liken to the foolish children in the market-place-men who will never be pleased with any, by whom righteousness and judgment are proclaimed, be the fashion of their lives

what it may. However, it seems but reasonable to hope, that all who resort to God's house are, in some degree, of a better mind. By the custom of simply coming together to worship, and to hear the word of Christ, you profess to be children of the wisdom which He taught, disposed to think and speak well of Him throughout, and ready, should any part of His gospel appear hard or strange, to continue nevertheless believing, and hoping still to discern it just and good. Accordingly, respecting the wisdom successively displayed by John the Baptist, and by Jesus Christ, I design to employ the remainder of this discourse, in explaining how it is most satisfactorily to be justified, at once in word and in deed, by all who would fain approve of, and recommend it.

If we regard, then, in a particular manner, the different habits of living adopted by our Lord, and His forerunner, the right conclusion probably will be, that, of two modes equally lawful, each chose the most expedient one for himself, and for the office which he came to fulfil. Both were required to walk humbly and righteously with God, and to preach His truth unto men; but this might be done in different ways; so the one came neither eat"ing bread nor drinking wine," the other "came eating and drinking." I have already pointed

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out the suitableness of these opposite manners to the opposite tones in which they had to speak. The voice of John being generally as the sound of a trumpet, to alarm, and the voice of Jesus ordinarily resembling gentler music, to comfort and draw the soul, there was a corresponding variety in their demeanour. Nothing could have been more evidently proper, than that the former should be a person of a severer aspect than the latter, in the world. But this difference will appear entirely unobjectionable when you remember, that neither of the two positively enjoined it on his hearers, as wishing to make them likewise differ, and that both were free occasionally to cease from it themselves.

John came, neither eating bread, nor drinking wine his abode was in the wilderness, his raiment of camel's hair, and his meat only locusts and wild honey, while he proclaimed, "The axe is laid unto the root of the trees "every tree therefore which bringeth not forth

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good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the "fire" yet when the terrified people demanded of him, "What shall we do then?" he did not require them at all to imitate him in these respects, but rather gave them rules for walking charitably and honestly with their fellowcreatures. So far from insisting on a life of

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abstinence, like his own, in the wilderness, his precepts to the people generally were, He that hath meat and clothing, "let him impart to "him that hath none;" and to the publicans, "Exact no more than that which is appointed "you;" and to the soldiers, "Do violence to "no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be " content with your wages." (Luke iii. 7, and following verses.) Suppose we were quite unable to imagine a cause for the severity of the Baptist towards himself, who will be vain enough, after this, to blame him for it, or to raise any question about his wisdom? We may well be sure that he did wisely in abstaining from society and ordinary food, by the tokens that he made no merit of doing so, and would not forbid others to partake of them. His actuating principle throughout must have consisted of sound piety and discretion, otherwise he would have proposed it as a primary condition of his baptism, that men should follow the exact pattern of his life. Likewise Jesus, who came, on the contrary, eating and drinking, sitting down with almost any that would invite Him, the better to persuade and win them, hath left His disciples free to determine, by their own prudence, whether or not they shall do the same. He went to a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, and turned water into