He preached

This was a preacher of righteousness attracting crowds to hear him, not less from the novelty of his doctrines than the singularity of his dress, and the self-denial of his habits. It was John the Baptist, the harbinger of the Son of God. By the terrors of the Lord he sought to persuade men. the law to awaken the conscience, and convicting the Jews of sin, to prepare them for the announcement of a Saviour. The Jewish people were at that period sunk to the lowest state of moral degradation. Their very religion was a strange mixture of formalism, hypocrisy and infidelity. In such an age John appeared in the spirit and power of Elijah. With bold and unsparing hand the lion-hearted prophet exposed the vices of the age. Neither dreading the frowns, nor seduced by the flatteries of men, he denounced the prevailing ungodliness and irreligion of the times, and called upon all men gladly to welcome that Saviour whose coming he had been sent to announce. Multitudes crowded from all quarters to wait upon the ministry of John. Many were deeply impressed by the character and preaching of this man of God. The Spirit carried home the truth to their consciences, and they gladly submitted to be immersed in the waters of John's baptism, confessing their sins and

rejoicing in the prospect of a Saviour about to be revealed.

But while many, we doubt not, were savingly converted under the ministry of John the Baptist, multitudes crowded to the wilderness with no other view than to gratify their curiosity, or to mock the faithful forerunner of the Lord. Pharisees were there-the formalists of their time, whose whole lives had been spent in a mere profession of religion without the slightest feeling of its power; and Sadducees were there the infidels and Socinians of their time, who denied the resurrection and the world to come. Looking around, therefore, upon the motley crowds that listened to his preaching, John breaks forth into the most sarcastic and withering rebuke: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Nor does he conceal from the Jews that the time of solemn reckoning is at hand. The axe, he warns them, is even now laid at the root of the tree, too sure a token that it must speedily fall. The husbandman has come to survey his vineyard. He expects, he requires, he demands fruit. A rich luxuriant foliage, a profusion of lovely blossoms cannot avail now. The axe is laid at the root, and if there be no fruits of holiness, no evidence of a change of

heart and of life, its doom must be pronounced-" Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

The preparations for the entrance of Christ upon His public ministry were now complete. For six months or more had the Baptist been warning the Jews of His approach. At length after many had been baptised by John there appeared on the banks of the Jordan a stranger in humble garb from Nazareth of Galilee. There is no evidence that John had personally known Jesus until He came seeking baptism at his hands. We are inclined to agree with some of the early Fathers that an express revelation of Christ was made to John at that moment; the hitherto fearless prophet now standing in awe. One has approached, before whom John bows in conscious inferiority. "I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me?" He could not comprehend how the master should apply for baptism to the servant, the king to the humble subject. But it became Christ to fulfil all righteousness. He had submitted to circumcision, and now He submits to John's baptism. Nor was it an ordinary baptism with water. As he came up out of the water "the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him." Thus was the Spirit communicated to Christ without measure prepa

ratory to His entrance upon His solemn work. Now, more especially, could he adopt the language of the prophet, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek! he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." And not only was Jesus at this momentous season owned of the Spirit, He was owned of the Father also; for while Jesus was praying, a voice was heard from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved

son in whom I am well pleased."

The Messiah, the Anointed One, consecrated by the baptism of the Holy Ghost goes forth to His work. It was a singularly difficult and important one; and His very first act in entering on His great work betokens that this is none other than He who was to bruise the serpent's head. He enters into mortal con

The Spirit

flict with the enemy of God and man. leads, nay drives Him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Then ensued a memorable contest between the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness. Christ was fully equipped for the engagement, and entering the battle-field under the guidance of the Spirit of God He won those laurels that now encircle the brows of all His people; and they rejoice in the full assurance that because He hath overcome they also themselves shall overcome.

Jesus came from heaven to establish a kingdom upon the earth, not a temporal but a spiritual kingdom, a sovereignty over the hearts and the consciences of men. It was of the highest importance, therefore, that at an early period of his public ministry He should lay down in a clear and explicit manner the nature and principles of His kingdom, and what relation it bore to the ancient or Jewish economy. This we conceive was the occasion of the sermon on the mount, a sermon the most remarkable that was ever delivered

in the hearing of mortal men. Every word of it flowed from the mouth of the holy Jesus, of Him who is emphatically THE TRUTH. If we look back to the period at which the Son of God first began to speak publicly in the ears of men, and think of the ignor