former, idolatry was the fashionable error, which had found it's way into the court, and overspread the face of the church. The characteristics of the latter were, on the one hand, a pharifaical hypocrify, a boast of moral rectitude, which exifted only in theory, and a vain confidence in a law which nobody obferved; on the other, a Sadducean infidelity, opposed to the national faith and hope, denying a refurrection, and future state of retribution. Elijah reclaimed the people from the worship of Baal to that of the true God; John called his hearers from unbelief, hypocrify, and vice, to faith and holinefs. AN ambaffador of heaven, fent to preach truth to those who are captiM 3 vated vated by error, and righteousness to thofe who are enamoured of fin, will never proceed far in the discharge of his truft, unlefs he be endued with a fervent zeal for the cause and the honour of him that fent him. Every holy perfon is not bleffed with a fpirit, any more than he is invested with a commiffion, to appear in a public capacity, to reprove rulers and kings, to look an angry world in the face, and overcome all the oppofition it can raise against him. holiness to fupport it, Zeal, without like a meteor, Zeal, without direct it, will will blaze and expire. knowlege to limit and wafte and deftroy, like the element from the effect of which it takes it's name, when that has burft it's bounds, and rules where it ought to be in fubjection. fubjection. But when knowlege and holinefs are firft obtained, it is zeal which must quicken and diffuse them, as the fun doth light and heat, for the benefit of the universe. "Then ftood up Elias the prophet "as fire," faith the fon of Sirach, " and his word burnt like a lamp*." And our Lord, fpeaking of the Baptist, gives this account of him, "He was a burning and a shining light." His zeal was tempered with knowlege, for it gave Light; and his knowlege was actuated by zeal, for it was Burning as well as Shining. His fermons came warm from the heart of the fpeaker, and therefore found their way to that of the hearer, which was inflamed by Ecclef. xlviii. 1, ↑ John v. 35. them them with the love, as his underftanding was enlightened with the knowlege of heavenly things. LET us view and compare together the zeal of Elijah, exerted before idolatrous Ifrael affembled at mount Carmel, and that difplayed by St. John, when he faw the Pharifees and Sadducees come to his baptifm. For the fins of the people, and the iniquities of the prince, in the days of Elijah*, heaven was clofed over their heads, the bleffings of rain and dew were withheld, till the divine author of them fhould be again acknowleged, and famine ftalked through the land, preaching 2 repentance as he went. Ifrael felt the wound, but owned not the hand * See 1 Kings xvii, & xviii. that that inflicted it. The Almighty had conftituted the Prophet his vicegerent, and enjoined the elements to fecond him in the work of reformation. Ahab and his fubjects, instead of confulting Elijah about the remo❤ val of their calamities, regarded him as the occafion of them, and the fole "troubler of Ifrael." At the command of God, he prefents himself before the king, and tells him plainly, "Thou art the man." Ifrael is con vened at mount Carmel, and reproved. "Why halt ye between two opinions? If Jehovah be God, "follow him. But if Baal, then fol"low him." The falfe prophets appear on the fide of Baal and his kindred idols, to the number of nine hundred and fifty: on the fide of the |