wild honey, nor are we commanded to abstain wholly from wine, as St. John did, according to the prediction of the angel concerning him, delivered at the annuntiation of his birth, "He fhall drink neither wine But nor ftrong drink, and fhall be "filled with the Holy Ghoft even from his mother's womb*." who doth not here perceive, evidently marked out, the oppofition between fenfuality and the fpirit of holiness, and the impoffibility of their dwelling together under the fame roof? "Into a malicious foul wifdom fhall "not enter, nor dwell in a body "that is fubject to fin. For the holy "fpirit of difcipline will flee deceit, "and remove from thoughts that are * Luke i. 15. "" without "without understanding, and will "not abide when unrighteousness "cometh in *." As, therefore, "no "man can fay that Jefus is the "Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft†," who speaks in the fcriptures, who enlightens our understandings to interpret them, and who gives authority as well as ability to preach that great truth revealed in them, every minifter of Chrift, who fucceeds the Baptist in the bleffed work of calling men to falvation, fhould mortify the lufts of the flesh, that the graces of the Spirit may live and grow in him. By a thorough mortification of the flesh, St. John had gained a compleat victory over the world, which had nothing in it that he Wifd. i. 4. + 1 Cor. xii. 3. wanted, wanted. And herein confifted that greatness of his character foretold by the angel; "He fhall be great in "the fight of the Lord." Earthly pageantry engages not the attention of the fpirits above, unlefs it be to pity fuch as fet their hearts upon it. They difcerned fomething more truly great in the perfon of the Baptist, when he came forth from the defarts, than in that of a triumphant monarch, at the head of his victorious army. "Behold," faith our Lord, 66 they that wear foft clothing are "in kings' houfest;" look for them among the attendants upon the princes of this world, and not among my fervants. They who thirst after temporal honours and advan *Luke i. 15.- + Matt. xi. 8. tages, tages, muft go where fuch things are to be had. And let them go any where, rather than come into the church, with these difpofitions. For he who would perfuade others to defpife the world, while the love of it appears to direct and govern all his own actions, can expect no better fuccefs than it may be fuppofed St. Peter would have met with, had he invited thofe, who ftood with him round the fire in the high priest's hall, into the fervice of that mafter, whom they had juft before heard him deny. "When thou art con"verted, strengthen thy brethren*:" attempt not to do it till then, left thou not only fall into condemnation thyfelf, but lay a ftumbling block in * Luke xxii. 32. the the way of the weak, and caufe the name of God and his gofpel to be thus blafphemed through thy double-mindednefs, while thy life is at variance with thy doctrine. He who undertakes to reprove the world, must be one whom the world cannot reprove. All eyes will be upon him; his actions, his words, his very geftures and looks will be obferved and canvaffed by his fharp-fighted enemies. It will therefore behove one, fo expofed on all fides, to abstain from the least appearance of evil, to stand at the utmost distance from temptation, and to prevent even the poffibility of a fufpicion. The axe must be laid to the root, and the paffions mortified, till the man become, in the emphatical language of fcrip ture, |