feafon he will bring every thing to pass, which will conduce to their true welfare. The fcripture, having witneffed of Zacharias and Elizabeth, that "" they were both righteous be"fore God, walking in all the com"mandments and ordinances of the "Lord blameless," proceedeth, in the very next words, to inform us, that "they had no child, becaufe that "Elizabeth was barren, and they "were both well ftricken in years*." They, who ftand higheft in the favour of God, may, therefore, during the greatest part of their lives, want the external and visible marks of it, and lie under the burden of "re"proach among ment," as was the cafe of childlefs women in Judea.

• Luke i..7.

+Luke i.. 25.

But

1

But these two pious perfons, when their condition, in this refpect, feemed defperate, were upon the eve of felicity. For of parents at their time of life John was to be born; that fo the miraculous manner of his birth might excite the attention of mankind, and difpofe them to liften to his voice, when it should be heard in the wilderness; and also, that it might prepare them for that great event which was taking place, as the prophet Ifaiah had foretold; " A virgin thall conceive, and bear a "fon." In circumftances parallel with thofe of St. John, were born; of old, Ifaac, and Jofeph, and Sampfon, and Samuel, all of them illuftrious forerunners of Meffiah, in one or other of his three characters, pro01 phetical,

phetical, facerdotal, or regal. And did not God intend, by fo often caufing "the barren woman to keep “ houfe, and to become a joyful mo"ther of children," to make that power known, by which the incarnation of the Redeemer and the fruitfulness of his church were to be effected in the latter days, when, according to St. Paul, the prophetical injunction of Ifaiah was obeyed, "Sing, O barren, thou that didft not bear; break forth into finging, "and cry aloud, thou that didft not travel with child *!"

. He, who is employed in discharging with fidelity the duties of his calling, takes the fureft way to obtain the continuation and increase of *Ifai. liv. i. Gal. iv. 27. C 2.

his

"his immediate infpection; to per"form them in order, in his proper "station, without ambitiously feek"ing an higher; to do nothing "merely of his own will, but to ob

ferve the well-established cuftoms, "as being the neceffary fecurities of 66 peace. This is the truth which "these fhadows prefigured, and thefe "the difpofitions worthy a minifter "of the true temple, which is the "church"

The annuntiation of the Baptift's conception happened at the time of incenfe, when his father, having put on the robe of honour, and being clothed, like the great Mediator whom he perfonated, with the gar