HEAVENLY FATHER's Cause, even at the expense of a pang to His Earthly Mother's breast, is Consistent with the Great Object of His Advent, the Good of Mankind in general. Why the Doctors, struck as they seem to have been by the Pre-eminency of His Mental Powers, claimed Him not of His Earthly Parents to adopt Him and to train Him as a Member of their own Body, may appear extraordinary, even though He was not of the Tribe of Levi. But such a Course of Education was not necessary for His Purpose, nor was His Ministry according to the ceremonial rites of the Jewish Church. HE was a PRIEST for ever after another Order: and He Taught as never Man Taught, though charged with never having Learnt letters. The tender and affectionate chiding of Mary sustains the endearing estimate of her qualities and character, which should ever be held in true but sober veneration, as Foremost of Females in the Love and Countenance of GOD.

Notwithstanding the Consciousness of His Intellectual Powers, and His Fitness, even at so early an Age as twelve, to Hold Discourse on the solemn and momentous Truths of Religion, and to Teach even the most Learned Wisdom, and to Dispense Knowledge, JESUS Leaves the attractive Scene of His Spiritual and Intellectual Triumph, and in the Spirit of Meekness and Docility Accompanies His Parents to their humble home; and so Continued with them for the period of about eighteen years; during all which time the whole that remains on Historical Record of This most deeply Interesting and Important Life is, that "Increasing in Wisdom and Stature, He Increased also in Favour with GOD and Man." St. Luke's account, after the introductory mention of John the Baptist, as the Fore-Runner of our SAVIOUR, and the Baptism of The MESSIAH, as noticed by all four of the Evangelists, adds, "And JESUS Himself Began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the Son of Joseph:"-Luke iii. 23; as before mentioned.

CHAP. iii.-In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent ye, for The KINGDOM of HEAVEN is at hand!" for This is He that was Spoken of by the Prophet Esaias, saying, 'The voice of One crying in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of The LORD! Make His Paths Straight!""— 1 to 3.

As John preached repentance before CHRIST Entered on His Ministry, so should in Man repentance be the first fruit of Christian profession. All have sinned in thought, word, or deed against The DIVINE MAJESTY. Few, if any, that have not deeply wounded their own consciences by a departure from Righteousness; and Few, that have done unto their Neighbours, as they would that such Neighbours had done unto them. The nature and tendency of sin should be studied, and the knowledge arrived at by a full Self-examination in comparison with the Law of GOD, and the Goodness of His Providence, the Abundance of His Mercies, and the Graciousness of His Promises Vouchsafed unto All. And though No One can tell how oft he offendeth, since we err by withholding, as well as misdirecting our powers; yet much may be done towards the discovery and detection of sin, however unheeded at the time of committal, by contemplating the Purity and Holiness and Beneficence of The DIVINE NATURE, and considering how little we have acted after such an Example, and how little have we kept Him before our eyes in the direction of our conduct and the regulation of our thoughts. As the first step to take, in this indispensable work of repentance, is therefore to possess our minds, as far as is possible for Human conception to reach, with just and becoming notions of The Nature and Attributes of GÓD, so far as They have been Revealed, or are Made Manifest by His Works, we should frequently meditate on His Greatness and Power, as The CREATOR and PRESERVER of all Things,-on His Per

fection, as having Made all Things Good, yea, originally Very Good,—and on His Peculiar Love for Man, in having Constituted him so Pre-eminently the Object of His Care and the Instance of His Mercy, by Forming him in His Own Image, with a Spirit of Immortality. We should then dwell on the awful and afflictive fact, that Man, so Favoured and associated with the Perfection of Holiness, should, by disregard to a DIVINE Command, have fallen into wilful sin, with the foreknow ledge of his thereby forfeiting his State of Primeval Blessedness. Extending the thoughts to the manifold sins and wickednesses, which in all subsequent Ages have disgraced Human Nature, and incensed the Just Anger of The DEITY, we should then, with Self-condemnation, look back upon that portion, which we ourselves have added to the inconceivable weight of Mankind's iniquity; and amidst a true consciousness thereof, and the contemplation of The DIVINE Purity, as well as Power, should acknowledge that we stand utterly condemnable, and without any reasonable hope of Restoration to DIVINE Favour, if Judgment be Pronounced upon us according to DIVINE Justice. But then laying hold of Revelation, with a deep feeling of sorrow for our offences against Its AUTHOR, we should clasp to our bosoms That Promise of Pardon and Reconciliation, Which is so Graciously Made to all penitent and believing Sinners, through faith in That Mystery of DIVINE Love to Man, the Incarnation and Mediation of The Only SON of GOD, in Atonement for our sins, and in Fulfilment of The DIVINE Law for us. Truly Wonderful does The ALMIGHTY'S Forbearance seem in not utterly and at once Extirpating one Class of His Creatures for their disregard of their CREATOR and contempt of His Commandments; (and by whose Extermination from the scale of Being His Own Happiness could not in the least have been affected;) but infinitely more Wonderful is it that He should Give thus His Only and Holy SON, Who is ONE with Himself, to Take upon Him our Nature, and Therein to Offer Himself up as An Expiatory Sacrifice for sin and A Propitiation for Pardon and Reconciliation to DIVINE Acceptance and Favour; at the same time Shewing us, by Example, the Paths of Righteousness, in which we should tread, and Bringing. as the First Fruits of His Mediation, the Returning Graces of The HOLY SPIRIT to Help us onward in our journey through this Life of trial and tempta tion, to the Glories of an Everlasting Hereafter. Incomprehensible as All This is, as Emanating from An All-Perfect, as well as ALMIGHTY BEING, yet is It capable of being, in a degree at least, brought more within our conception, than is the consciousness of deserving Such Transcendent Love and Mercy from our MAKER. And, when contemplating all This, is it possible for us to refrain from an acknowledgment, in return for Such Ineffable and Persevering Condescension and Inestimable Kindness, that every faculty and property of our Souls and Bodies should have been lent, without intermission and with all readiness and free-will, to the Service and Honour of The FOUNTAIN of Such unmerited Blessedness; and yet, that on the contrary, we have been ungrateful and unnatural Children to our HEAVENLY FATHER? And feeling what we ought to have been towards The AUTHOR of our Being, and admitting how miserably short we have fallen of the due discharge of our duties towards Him, should we not break forth into a lively sorrow for and repentance of these our misdoings? and should we not endeavour, with all sincerity, to amend our Lives, and to render our practice consistent with our professions? The course of these inquiries would bring us also to a knowledge of our neglect of the most essential duties to our Neighbours, as well as to ourselves. The bad example set the Former, and the possible influence which that may have had, in robbing Others of the Proffered Salvation, should increase our contrition, and contribute to our own reformation; animating us to the effort of promoting that of Those within our influence.

The KINGDOM of HEAVEN, as Connected with Mankind, Means Its

Spiritual Government of the hearts of Men, through the Advent of The SAVIOUR of the World, and the Efficacy of The HOLY SPIRIT; Giving Light and Life and Health to the Souls of the Faithful, as the Sun to the natural World. And This KINGDOM, with the exalted Liberty and Privileges Thereof, is equally now, as at the Period of Its First Proclamation, " at hand;" and is Open to Receive All, who with true Spiritual loyalty come unto It, and to Invest them with the Sacred Rights of Naturalization and Inheritance: A KINGDOM, Which no Enemy can conquer from us, and the Government of Which no Traitor can overthrow; Abounding with the Blessings of That Peace, Which Surpasseth understanding; and Yielding freely all the Vastness of Its exhaustless Treasures to Its faithful Subjects; Anticipating and Supplying all wants; and Disseminating Universal Consolation, Satisfaction, and Perfect and Perpetual Joy. This KINGDOM being "at hand" means, that It is within every One's access, who will repent and be Baptized unto newness of Life in Spirit and in Truth; uniting with a right Faith, a conformity of Life to Gospel Rules. The outward sign of Baptism is water, wherein to wash is to be clean; and this is the Symbol of inward purity of heart and mind, to be acquired by penitence for past sins, which have so sadly defiled the Soul, and the outward sign of that Absolution, which Faith in the Sacrifice by CHRIST JESUS, as The Atonement for sin, and The Means of Bringing in Perfect Righteousness, and Diffusing the Influence thereof through The HOLY SPIRIT, will assuredly obtain.

To prepare the Way of The LORD was not only to Proclaim His Advent in the Flesh, but to set forth the Fundamental Principles of The Doctrine, Which That LORD was more Impressively to Teach. The Road to the hearts of His Hearers was thus to be made ready for Him.

In the Gospel according to St. Mark, at its very opening, the Office of the Baptist is thus similarly mentioned, "The Beginning of The Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, The SON of GOD. As it is Written in the Prophets, Behold, I Send My Messenger before Thy Face, which shall prepare Thy Way before Thee: the Voice of One crying in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of The LORD! make His Paths Straight!' John did baptize in the Wilderness, and preach the Baptism of repentance for the Remission of sins."-Chap. i. 1 to 4.

St. Luke records that, "the Word of GOD Came unto John, the Son of Zacharias, in the Wilderness; and he came into all the Country about Jordan preaching the Baptism of repentance for the Remission of sins; as it is Written in the Book of the Words of Esaias, the Prophet (ch. xl. 3), saying, 'The Voice of One crying in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of The LORD! Make His Paths Straight! Every Valley shall be filled, and every Mountain and Hill shall be brought low; and the Crooked shall be made straight; and the rough Ways shall be made smooth and all Flesh shall see the Salvation of GOD.""-Chap. iii. 2 to 6.

St. John, in his narrative of the Gospel, thus mentions the testimony borne by the Baptist himself (who was baptizing "in Bethabara beyond Jordan"), in answer to inquiries from Pharisees as to his character and office, "I am the Voice of One crying in the Wilderness, Make Straight the Way of The LORD!' as said the Prophet Esaias."-John i. 22, 23, and 28.

And this Prophetic Annunciation of the Office of the Baptist, as dimly shadowed forth in the Writings of Isaiah, was more fully developed and confirmed by his own Prophetically Inspired Father, Zacharias, as before mentioned and commented on.

And the same John had his raiment of Camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.-4 to 6.

The Baptist's dress and food were those of simplicity and temperance, as should be those of all Christians, especially of Ministers of the Gospel: "Be temperate in all things!" was St. Paul's admonition, which is applicable to all Classes and ages in Society.

How Powerful was the Word of GOD, though Uttered in the Wilderness, to draw to Itself Multitudes of the Inhabitants of the City and Regions of Judea! The Baptist thus proved himself a becoming Forerunner of That LORD and MASTER, "Whose Word was with Power, and Who Spake as never Man spake." The injunction to confess sin, as a necessary act introductory to effectual Baptism, was essential in the highest degree, as an earnest of that Faith, which worketh by repentance and amendment of Life: for a change of heart and of habits, through a sorrow for and condemnation of the past, must have been the expected fruits of the Baptist's preaching, ere he could pledge himself for the efficacy of that Baptism to Cleanse the Soul from the Pollutions of sin, and to Fit and Prepare it for The KINGDOM of GOD. Confession of sins, particular as well as general, is the first office of a Christian Believer. A sense of unworthiness of DIVINE Regard must be strong upon the conscience of every seriously reflecting Mind; of every One, who, justly weighing the Purity and Holiness and Goodness of GOD, and the Wonder of His Mercy in the Offer of Redemption through the Expiatory Sacrifice of His SON, looks back with an honest and true heart upon the weaknesses, the follies, the negligences, the outrages, and the ingratitude of his own past Life. And amidst the shame and inward confusion to which unfeigned repentance gives rise, the Soul is led onward to the resolution to depart from the error of those ways, and to begin and faithfully pursue a course of amendment of Life; looking for Pardon and DIVINE Reconciliation to the Merits and Mediation of A SAVIOUR, and seeking the Sustaining and Directing Influence of The HOLY SPIRIT thenceforth to keep the narrow Way, That Leadeth unto Life Eternal.

St. Mark's description is thus: "John did baptize in the Wilderness, and preach the Baptism of repentance for the Remission of sins: and there went out unto him all the Land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were All baptized of him in the River of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey."-Chap. i. 4 to 6.

St. Paul, when in communication with Some of John's Disciples, who had been baptized only unto his baptism, said unto them, "John verily baptized with the Baptism of repentance, saying unto the People, that they should believe on Him, Which should Come after him, that is, on CHRIST JESUS."-Acts xix. 3, 4.

St. Paul thus asserts the Ministry and Doctrine of the Baptist, adding as a proof of the efficacy of the same Doctrine, when delivered by John, " And Many that believed, came and confessed, and shewed their deeds."-Verse 18.

But when he saw Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unt them, 'O Generation of Vipers, Who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to Come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance! and think not to say withi yourselves, We have Abraham to our Father: for I say unto you, that GOD is Abl of these Stones to Raise up Children unto Abraham.—7 to 9.

The discriminating Power of The SPIRIT is Manifested in the Distinguishing

between hypocritical Professors, and real and penitent Converts. St. Matthew confines the accusation by the Baptist, of hypocrisy, to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the two leading and rival Sects of the Jews. How wretchedly and wilfully blind are Those, who think by deceiving Man they can also deceive GOD, unto Whom all the secrets of the heart are open! Is it not surprising that Men, with even a spark of reason or common understanding, can suffer themselves to be so miserably misled? Repentance by word, and not in deed and in truth, is a mockery; and must be as hateful to Him, as open rebellion. How can it be expected by any One, that GOD, Who is The GOD of Truth, will Give him Happiness Infinite and Vast beyond conception in his Immortal State, when he inwardly denies The DIVINE Authority, and sets at nought both the Omniscience and Omnipotence of The DEITY; systematically neglecting His Commandments, though, at the same time, professing before Fellow-Mortals a faith in His Word and an obedience to His Will.

In the contemplation of the Wrath to Come we must bear in mind, that the Spirit of Man dieth not with his body, it is Immortal; and after its separation from its earthly tabernacle, it enters, in a degree at least, upon its Eternal condition, this is either of Joy in the conscious Favour of GOD, or of misery unutterable in being driven from the Glory of The DIVINE Presence, and becoming the prey of that horror of feeling, which remorse and Self-condemnation cannot but occasion, and which all absence of hope must dreadfully deepen. The state of the Maniac affords, perhaps, a feeble image of this wretchedness, as far as a separation from the Influence of DIVINE Grace operates; and the frantic agony of the Self-meditating Murderer, in the hesitation whether or not to rush unbidden on Eternity, may give some idea of the wounds which conscience will then inflict.

St. Luke thus, in almost the same words, penned this address of John, though he describes it as made to the Multitude generally, meaning, probably, the Majority of them: "Then said he (John) to the Multitude, that came forth to be baptized of him, 'O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to Come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance! and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our Father!' for I say unto you, that GOD is Able of these Stones to Raise Children unto Abraham.' Chap. iii. 7, 8.

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St. Paul's testimony to the Truth, that Salvation from the Wrath to Come is of JESUS, is given in his 1st Epistle to the Thessalonian Converts, of whom he triumphantly thus wrote: "Our Gospel Came not unto you in Word only, but also in Power, and in The HOLY GHOST, and in much Assurance. And ye became Followers of us and of The LORD, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of The HOLY GHOST; and ye turned to GOD from idols to serve The Living and True GOD; and to wait for His SON from Heaven, Whom He Raised from the Dead, even JESUS, Which Delivered us from the Wrath to Come."-Chap. i. 5, 6, 9, and 10. In his Epistle also to the Romans, St. Paul writes, "GOD Commendeth His Love toward us, in that while we were yet Sinners, CHRIST Died for us: much more then, being now Justified by His Blood, we shall be Saved from Wrath through Him."-Chap. v. 8, 9.

"Faith without works is dead." If, therefore, we profess repentance, we should bring forth fruits meet for repentance; but works without faith are unprofitable. Of works done in the spirit of a pure Faith, though of them we are only the Instruments, through the Silent but Effectual Influence of DIVINE Grace, GOD has Vouchsafed to Declare His Acceptance.

The Jews' reliance on their descent from Abraham, and as the Seed of him, in whom all the Families of the Earth were to be Blessed, was vain indeed, as