"He that hath ears to hear, let him "hear*." By thefe expreffions it was evidently Chrift's intention to put his hearers upon the fearch after fomething more than the words, in the bare letter of them, might feem to contain. He directed them to go deeper into things, to ftudy with attention the miffion of the Baptift, his office and character; to compare together perfons, times, and events; and fo to difcover, in what, fenfe John was Elias, and why Malachi had given him that appellation. But if they did this, and were once brought, in the perfon of John, to acknowledge Elias who was to precede the Meffiah, they muft neceffarily, in the perfon of Jefus, acknowledge the Meffiah whom Elias was to

precede. And therefore, as they were obftinately refolved not to own the Mafter, Chrift knew they would not recognize the fervant, or receive this faying concerning him. Thus when the chief priests and elders interrogated our Lord in the temple, "By "what authority doft thou these

'things, or who gave thee this au"thority? I will alfo," faid he, "afk you one question, The baptism “of John, was it from heaven, or of "men" They perceived the dilemma, and having confidered confequences, made the only safe anfwer, "We cannot tell*;" an anfwer which did honour to their prudence and their caution, but certainly at the expence either of their wifdom, or their honefty. As fitting

* Matt. xxi. 23.

in the chair of Mofes, they ought to have known whence the baptifm of John was; and if they did know, they ought not to have been fly of declaring it.

THAT St. John was the Elias predicted by Malachi, we have alfo the teftimony of an angel*, at the annuntiation of his birth, who cites the very words of the prophet; "He "hall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts

of the fathers to the children," &c. And if this be the cafe, it follows by neceffary inference, that by "the

great and dreadful day of the "Lord," before the coming of which Elijah is promifed, Malachi intends, primarily and immediately, the day, not of the world's, but of Jerufalem's * Luke i. 7.

deftruction. For want of adverting to this, an opinion hath prevailed among Chriftian interpreters, that the whole prophecy relateth principally to the day of judgment, and to the appearance of an Elias, who fhall then precede Chrift. Whether there will be fuch an Elias at that time, and fo the fecond advent will fymbolize with the firft in the circumftance of being previoufly proclaimed by a harbinger, like St. John, fent for that purpose, is a fpeculation with which we fhall not at prefent concern ourselves, refting fatisfied with the application of the prophecy, upon infallible grounds, to the perfon of the Baptift, the undoubted forerunner of our Lord, when he came to vifit us in great humility.

GOD

GOD punisheth not finners, till he hath firft invited them to repentance. He giveth fair warning before he ftriketh; and a day of grace, in which mercy may be fought, and pardon found, always goeth before a day of vengeance and extermination. Elias was fent" before the coming of "the great and dreadful day of the "Lord;" John called his countrymen to turn from their fins, and believe in their Meffiah, ere yet the defolations of Jerufalem exhibited to the wondering nations a fpecimen of that almighty power and inflexible justice, which shall one day lay the world itself in ruins.

THE third chapter of Malachi containeth a moft evident and clear prediction of Meffiah's advent, with that

of