great Head of the Church as precious odors. I beseech you, brethren, "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." Betray not your blessed Lord. Follow not the example of Judas, lest you share his fearful doom; but follow Christ, imitate his example, and you shall reign with him for ever; which may God grant for his mercy's sake. Amen.

SERMON XVII.

BY REV. WILLIAM SIMMONS.

CHRIST AND HIS FORERUNNER.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire," Matt. iii, 11.

HERE we have two very important personages brought to our view, namely, John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ. One was to decrease, the other to increase; one was to prepare the way, and turn the hearts of the people to God; the other was to take possession of those hearts, and establish the kingdom of grace therein. The office and teaching of one was to cease, while that of the other was to continue to the end of time. The influence of one was limited to a few persons, but that of the other is to extend to all the nations of the earth. One was a mere man, the other God manifested in the flesh; one is entitled to our respect and esteem, the other to the adoration and warmest devotions of our hearts; one we love as a brother, the other we serve as a God.

In the discussion of this subject, I shall consider,

I. THE CHARACTER AND WORK OF JOHN.

II. THE CHARACTER AND WORK OF CHRIST.

In noticing the character and work of John, I remark,

1. That he was the subject of ancient prophecy. Isaiah speaks of him as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." As one says, "He was all voice: there was a voice in his habit, a voice in his diet, a voice in his conversation, teaching, and conduct." He is spoken of by Malachi, as God's messenger: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me ;" and, as Elijah, the prophet, because he was to come in the spirit of that self-denying man of God. Other men, indeed, had been the subjects of prophecy, but John is pointed out in a very peculiar way, and as performing a very peculiar work.

2. He was the connecting link between the Jewish and Christian dispensations-the point where the office of priest and high priest, established by divine authority under the law, was to cease, and another priest to be consecrated—one who had been pointed to by the very establishment of the priesthood in the Jewish Church. John descended in a regular line from the tribe of Levi-the family of priests, and was the son of Zacharias, a regularly appointed, and an officiating priest. His birth was miraculous. And it was said to his father, "Thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth; for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord."

3. As the character of John was remarkable, so his office and work were peculiar and great. He was commissioned by the Lord to preach repentance for the remission of sins. Under the regulations which existed prior to his advent, when a sinner would obtain mercy of God, he must come with his offering, to atone for his sins; but now, he was permitted to leave his offering, and to bring only his broken and contrite heart. This repentance implied, not only conviction for sin, but the confessing and forsaking it. What a glorious dispensation was here opened and presented to mankind, approaching the day in which God

should command all men, everywhere, to repent, and have their sins blotted out!

4. Another part of John's work was to administer baptism, by water, to all who came to him confessing their sins. This he did in, or at Jordan. Some suppose that the people were all dipped, or immersed; others think differently. On this point, I would refer you to the remarks of Dr. Clarke, on Matt. iii, 6, to which I fully subscribe; believing that many put entirely too much dependence on the mode of baptism. The Doctor says, "Can any man suppose that it was possible for John to dip all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and Judea, and all the country round about the Jordan? Were both men and women dipped? for, certainly, both came to his baptism. This could never have comported either with safety or decency. Were they dipped in their clothes? This would have endangered their lives, if they had not with them changes of raiment; and, as such a baptism as John's, however administered, was, in several respects, a new thing in Judea, it is not at all likely the people would come thus provided. But, suppose these were dipped, which I think would be impossible to prove, does it follow, that in all regions of the world, that men and women must be dipped in order to be evangelically baptized? In the eastern country, bathings were frequent, because of the heat of the climate-it being there so necessary to cleanliness and health. But, could our climate, or a more northerly one, admit of this, safely? For, at least, three-fourths of the year, we may rest assured that it could not. And may we not presume, if John had opened his commission in the north of Great Britain, for many months in the year, he would have dipped neither man nor woman, unless he could have procured a tepid bath. Those who are dipped or immersed in water, in the name of the holy Trinity, I believe to be evangelically baptized. are washed or sprinkled with water, in the

Those who name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, I believe to be equally so; and the repetition of such baptism, I believe to be profane. Others have a right to believe the contrary, if they see good. After all, it is the thing signified, and not the mode, which is the essential part of the sacrament."

5. Another duty connected with the office of John the Baptist, was, the inducting of Christ into the priestly office. He, being the son of Zacharias, though not designed for a Jewish priest, but, being an extraordinary character, it was proper for him to introduce the Savior into the public ministry. Being about to assume the character of Prophet, Priest, and King, and to become the Head and Leader of the visible Church on earth, Christ would not "climb up some other way," but "enter in by the door, into the sheep-fold." Hence, he came to John to be baptized of him. John, not understanding the design of the Savior, "forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" He knew that his commission was, to baptize unto repentance, and that Jesus had no sins to repent of; and that it would be impious to require of the Savior of the world the same conditions which he did of sinners, before baptism. This was John's position, until Christ informed him that it became them to "fulfill all righteousness."

But, what righteousness was here referred to? Was it the righteousness of God? We answer, no; for that was full and complete. Was it the righteousness of faith? No; because Christ knew all things, and was not required to believe any thing. We, then, conclude it was the righteousness of the law-the ceremonial law; which required all priests entering into the priestly office, to be washed, or sprinkled with water, and anointed with oil, and then to be proclaimed the priest of God. This law was beautifully illustrated and enforced by the circumstances of Christ's

baptism. 1. John baptizes or washes him. 2. Instead of the anointing oil, the Spirit of God, like a dove descends and lights on him. 3. Instead of the proclamation under the law, a voice from heaven is heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." After this ceremony under the law, the initiated priest commenced performing the functions of his office. after Christ's consecration by John, he wilderness and tempted of the devil. with the prince of darkness, he began to "The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

So, immediately was led into the After this conflict preach, and to say,

We are aware that some are of opinion that Christ was baptized by John for an example to Christian believers; and, assuming that John immersed Jesus, they say that all must follow him into the water. But if the position be true that by this ceremony Christ was introduced into the priestly office, then it follows, that he did not intend it as an example for us. That he was now consecrated to this office, and not baptized for our example, is evident, from the fact, that under the law, a man must be thirty years old before he could enter into the priestly office. So, Jesus was thirty years of age when he was baptized, or consecrated. we have already seen, that he could not have been baptized with John's baptism, because that was unto repentance. So, neither could he have been baptized with the Christian baptism; for that is in the name of the holy Trinity, and John had no authority to baptize in this name. Some of John's disciples, who, at a later period, embraced the religion of Christ, had not heard that there was any Holy Ghost; hence, they could not have been baptized with the Christian baptism, but merely unto repentance.

And

John, while he lived, was faithful in his work. He was, finally, beheaded, to gratify the malice of a corrupt woman, at the request of a proud and wicked daughter, who had learned the foolish and vain practice of dancing. And now,