Anna, who compofed facred fongs upon the occafion, and fpake of Meffiah's advent" to all fuch as

looked for redemption in Jerufa"lem*" The fame tidings were afterwards published by the Baptist, then by Christ himfelf and his apoftles, and have been ever fince preached by their fucceffors, whofe commiffion ftill runs-" Comfort "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people."

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2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for he hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her fins.

GOOD news fhould be related with

a fuitable afpect and accent.

* Luke ii. 38.

The

manner

manner fhould correfpond with the matter. "Speak ye comfortably," or, as it is in the Hebrew phrafeology, "to the heart of Jerufalem;" let your words be as cordials, to revive and chear her in the midst of her forrows and fufferings. The topics of confolation, to be infifted on, are three. Firft, "Her warfare," or "appointed fervice, is accomplished;" the days of her continuance under the yoke of bondage are expired; the fulness of time is come, for her paffing from that fiate into the glorious liberty of the fons of God; the will now be relieved from duty, and difmiffed from the ftation on which the hath fo long watched, in expectation of the promised redemption; the will be "delivered out of the X 3 "hands

"hands of her enemies, to ferve "God without fear." Secondly, "Her iniquity is pardoned;" the expiation is about to be made, which all her facrifices and luftrations prefigured, which all her prophets foretold; the bleffed perfon is born, in whom God is well pleafed, both granting and accepting repentance unto "falvation by the remiffion of fins," that men may be "juftified "from all things from which they "could not be juftified BY the law "of Mofes," although men were juftified UNDER that difpenfation, through faith in him that was then to come, according to the Gofpel preached before unto Abraham. Thirdly, "She hath received of the "Lord's hand double for all her "fins;"

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"tins;" fhe hath received greater benefits than she had deferved punishments; mercy hath rejoiced against judgment; where fin abounded, grace hath fuperabounded.

3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the defart a high way for our God.

ISAIAH, while reciting the divine injunctions to thofe whofe office it fhould be to "comfort Jerufalem," feemeth to break off fuddenly, as one interrupted in his difcourfe by the found of a voice*, And as if he

had

"Far from being the Meffiah, or Elias, "or one of the old Prophets, I am nothing " but a VOICE; a found, that, as foon as it

"has

had liftened, and perceived it to be the found of that voice which fo many prophets and kings had defired to hear, and had not heard it, namely, the voice proclaiming the actual incarnation of Meffiah, he breaks forth in tranfport, "The voice of "him that crieth in the wilderness !"

Hark! a glad voice the lonely defart chears; Prepare the way! a God, a God appears. The voice which thus founded in the prophet's ears, fo long before it was really heard upon the earth, was that of the Baptift, who, at the proper feafon, was fent, to difpofe the hearts and affections of men for the reception of their Saviour, when he should make his appearance.

"has expreffed the thought of which it is the "fign, dies into air, and is known no more."

FENELON.

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4. Every