will alter his fentiments; he will fee Sect, VII. 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. NOT fo the Baptift. "What went ye " out into the wilderness to fee? A reed fhaken with the wind." No: a column firm and immoveable, against which, winds might blow, and 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 first counted the cofts; but who, when once he did begin, would be sure to finish. 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 no 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 shall a Matt. xi. 7. "be, Sect. VII." be, and there is nothing new under "the fun." Abab, at the instigation 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 guest in her husband's house b. The fanctity and integrity of the Baptist had begotten, even in Herod, a great veneration and reverence for his character. "Herod feared John, knowing that he "was a juft man, and an holy, and ob"served him, and when he 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 disposed to hear the law, because he was not difpofed to do it. He was determined to persevere in what was wrong, and his monitor to perfift in telling him of it, without reserve. 66 a Ecclef. i. 9. • See Fofephus --- Antiq. Lib. xviii. Cap. 6. c Mark vi. 20. "John 5 John faid unto him, It is not lawful Se&.VII. "for thee to have thy brother's wife." John, who had overcome the world, could not, either by promises 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 rather wish 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 troublesome world, to converse with God, and to meditate on that bleffed place, and that bleffed company, to which he was now haftening! In this situation we find the thoughts of the Baptist employed not upon his own fufferings, but upon the interefts of his great Mafter, the fame of whofe miracles had reached the prison, 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 • Matt. xi. 2, &c. e a which Sect. VII. which a Chriftian muft endure for a little feafon, in the world, should ferve only to quicken his defires after his Redeemer, of whofe works, wrought in mercy for the children of men, he will often hear; and the contemplation of them should afford him continual delight in the time of his captivity, until the day of his enlargement shall come. With Paul and Silas let him declare the glad tidings of falvation, and fing the praises of God in the prison-house. Let him enquire diligently, and take every opportunity of hearing more particulars concerning his Saviour, as alfo of placing others in the way of information. So will he copy the example of him, who, when he heard in prison the "works of Jefus, fent two of his dif"ciples," that they might be more fully inftructed, as to his perfon and miffion. ₹ FOR that this must have been St. John's intention in fending them, is plain from the question which they were enjoined to afk; "Art thou he that "should come, or do we look for an"other?" The Baptist could not pro pofe 1 1 pofe this question for his own informa- Se&t.VII. tion, but evidently for that of his difciples, whofe prejudices in favour of himself, their firft mafter, he found it fo difficult to conquer. What he had hitherto faid having proved infufficient for that purpose, he now, in compaffion to their infirmity, condescendeth to have their fcruples propounded in his own name; affording us thereby a very useful hint, that in order to inftruct others, we should abase ourselves, and know how to become weak with those who are fo. For it often happens, that men need information upon fome important point, who either thro' pride or bashfulness will not ask it, or through paffion and prejudice will not receive it at our hands. In this case, the good, which we cannot do directly, we must contrive, if we can, to do indirectly, by propofing those questions ourselves, which we know that others in company want to hear answered, but cannot bring themselves to ask. This method of edifying the weak, without expofing their infirmities, will produce in them that love and confidence to |