"patient when thou art changed to "a low eftate. For gold is tried in "the fire, and acceptable men in the "furnace of adverfity*." The reformer will proceed but a little way in his work, whofe zeal is not backed with fortitude. The apprehenfion of danger, or even the frown of power, will alter his fentiments; he will fee things in a different point of view, and turn with every blaft of fashion or intereft, till he himself believes every thing, and his hearers, offended and confounded, believe nothing.

Nor fo the Baptift. "What went "ye out into the wilderness to fee? "A reed fhaken with the windt.". No: a column firm and immoveable, against which winds might blow, and

Ecclef. ii. 1. + Matt. xi. 7.

waves beat, in vain; one who had fixed his principles, and confidered well, before he entered upon action; one who began not to build, till he had firft counted the cofts; but who, when once he did begin, would be fure to finifh.

A PERSON unacquainted with the world, and the tempers of it's children, might, perhaps, be furprized upon hearing, that a prophet, like St. John, who spent his time in calling his fellow creatures to happiness and falvation, and who coveted na man's gold, or filver, or apparel, was caft into prifon. But, as the wife man obferveth, "The thing which "hath been is that which fhall be, "and there is nothing new under

the

"the fun." Ahab, at the inftigation of Jezebel, again thirsts after the blood of Elijah.

HEROD, the tetrarch of Galilee, had put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, and had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom, contrary to the laws of hofpitality as well as religion, he .had feduced, while a gueft in her husband's houfet. The fanctity and integrity of the Baptift had begotten, even in Herod, a great veneration and reverence for his character. "Herod feared John,

he was a juft man,

"and obferved him,

* Ecclef. i. 9.

knowing that

and an holy,

and when he

+ See Jofephus-Antiq. Lib. xviii.

Cap. 6.

"heard

"heard him, he did many things, "and heard him gladly*." But the matter of Herodias was a tender point, on which the tetrarch was not difpofed to hear the law, because he was not difpofed to do it. He was determined to perfevere in what was wrong, and his monitor to perfift in telling him of it, without referve. "John faid unto him, It is not law"ful for thee to have thy brother's "wife." John, who had overcome the world, could not, either by promifes or threatnings, be induced to recede from his duty, through hope of temporal good, or fear of temporal evil. He was therefore foon convinced, by being carried to prifon, that Herod had no farther occafion for his fervice. And who doth not * Mark vi. 20.

rather

rather with to have been imprisoned with him, than to have glittered in all the glories of the throne of Herod? Happy John, fequeftered once more from a troublefome world, to converfe with God, and to meditate on that bleffed place, and that bleffed company, to which he was now haftening!

IN this fituation we find the thoughts of the Baptift employed. not upon his own fufferings, but upon the interefts of his great Mafter, the fame of whofe miracles had reached the prifon, and founded in his ears. "When John had heard in prison "the works of Jefus, he fent two of "his difciples *--" Thus the afflictions and tribulations which a Chrif * Matt. xi. 2, &c.