and those loofe cafuifts, who allow and authorize them, are pernicious to governments, by rendering these employments odious to the people, by favouring their murmurings, by encouraging acts of injuftice, and thereby giving occafion to rebellion

and revolt.

"And the foldiers demanded of "him, faying, And what fhall we "do? And he faid unto them, Do "violence to no man, neither accuse "any falfely, and be content with

your wages." St. John here, in the laft place, regulates the duties of military perfons, and fhews, that no condition is excluded from falvation. The bufinefs of war is not in itself at ofite thereto; fince there have en not only Chriftian foldiers, but

even great faints, and generous martyrs, of that profeffion. If all war was contrary to the Gospel, St. Johu would not have allowed thofe, who presented themselves before him, to continue in that ftate. However, it

is certainly full of obftacles to falvation, which are with difficulty furmounted. A ftate, which is generally embraced either out of paffion, or libertinifm, or through a blind deftination of birth, the exercises whereof are fo violent and tumultuous, agrees but little with the exercifes of chriftianity, or the fpirit of the Gospel, which is all peace, charity, and meeknefs. It is notwithftanding juft and neceffary, that there fhould be men to defend the ftate; but it is ftill more juft and neceffary,

ceffary, that this fhould not be done

at the expence of falvation. The grace of God can do every thing: this is what ought to comfort thofe who intend to ferve him, in ferving their king and country*."

ONE cannot but obferve the general agreement and harmony which feem to have prevailed, at this time, among men, otherwife of tempers and difpofitions very different from, and oppofite to each other. Jews and Gentiles, Pharifees and Publicans, Sadducees and Soldiers, all confefs their fins, and participate of the fame baptifm; all ftruck with apprehenfions of fome impending evil, all flying from the wrath to come; forgetting their mutual hoftilities and Quefnel.

antipathies, and, like the creatures in the days of Noah, taking refuge together in the ARK. As if the prophecy of Ifaiah had now begun to receive it's accomplishment, the publicans, who, before the preaching of John, were ravenous as evening "wolves," became innocent as the "lamb." The foldiers, who had been formerly fierce and cruel as the "lion," became tame and tractable as the "ox," and fubmitted their necks to the yoke of the Gospel. Such of the Pharifees likewife, who, before their baptism, had been venemous as the "afp," or "cockatrice,” did, by the worthy receiving of this baptifm, and the grace which God gave them, become mild and gent.e

as

as the "fucking infant," or "weaned "child*."

THE Concord thus produced in Judea by the fermons of St. John, and the tranquillity which the whole. earth then enjoyed, fitting quiet, as it were in expectation of her Lord, betokened the manifeftation of the

prince of peace. "Then cometh "Jefus from Galilee to Jordan to "John, to be baptized of him †." After thirty years paft in retirement. at Nazareth, the bleffed Jefus was. now to break forth, like the fun from a cloud, or a ftream from the bowels of the earth, to enlighten. mankind by his doctrine, and refresh

* See the Works of Dr. Thomas Jackson, ii. 522.

+ Matt. iii. 13, &c.

:

them