tifed mortification in the fchool of retirement, will, at their appearance in the world, afford it the brightest examples of every thing that is honeft, juft, pure, lovely, and of "good report." 66 WE may, therefore, conclude, that he who defires to undertake the office of guiding others in the ways of wifdom and holiness, will beft qualify himfelf for that purpofe by firft paffing fome time in a ftate of fequeftration from the world; where anxious cares and delufive pleafures may not break in upon him, to diffipate his attention; where no sceptical or fectarian spirit may blind his understanding, and nothing may obftruct the illumination from above; where every vicious inclination may be be mortified through grace, by a prudent application of the proper means; and every freth bud of virtue, fheltered from noxious blafts, may be gradually reared up into ftrength, beauty, and fragrance ; where, in a word, "he may grow "and wax strong in fpirit, until the day of his fhewing unto Ifrael." SEC SECTION IV. Confiderations on the Prophecies relative to St. John in the Old Tefta ment. B EFORE we proceed to view the Baptift in the exercife of his miniftry, it will be proper to look back to the predictions in the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, concerning his office and character. We fhall begin with that remarkable one, "Behold, I will fend you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the "Lord. And he shall turn the heart "of the fathers to the children, and "the "the heart of the children to their fathers, left I come and fmite the "earth with a curfe*." As there was amongst the Jews a general expectation of Meffiah's appearance, at the time when he did appear, fo an opinion likewife prevailed, that the world fhould be first prepared for his reception, in fome extraordinary manner. But wrong ideas of his appearance and kingdom introduced mistakes with regard to the perfon who fhould precede and proclaim him. According to the notions then current, occafioned by applying to his first advent the prophecies which belonged to his fecond, Meffiah was to come in power and majefty, to confer on the fons of * Mal. iv. 5, 6. Jacob dominion over the Gentiles, and make Jerufalem the metropolis of the world. And by mifunderftanding this prediction of Malachi, they had imagined, that Elijah the Tifhbite fhould return from heaven, as his precurfor. For this reafon it was, that when the fanhedrim fent a meffage to St. John, defiring to know, whether he were Elias? he anfwered, "I am not :" not the Elias by them intended and expected. But that St. John was the perfon foretold by Malachi under the name of Elias, we have the declarations of our Lord himfelf to his own difciples, "Elias is indeed come* ;" and to the Jews, "If ye will receive it, this "is Elias which was for to come. * Mark ix. 13. "He |