nefs of Hofea, the allegorical imagery of Joel, are equally employed to convey the voice of the Moft High, to awaken the confcience of regardless and apoftate man. Hear, O Heavens! Give ear, O Earth! What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it ?

In an earlier part of the chapter to which the text has guided our thoughts, our Saviour had enlarged in the highest terms of commendation concerning the character of John the Baptift: and at the fame time had reminded the Jews, that the most signal of the marks of honour by which John had been distinguished from above was his commiffion to prepare the way of the Meffiah. His difcourfe he concluded with the following expoftulation.

Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like? They are like unto children fitting in the market-place, and calling one to another, and faying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned unto you and ye have not wept. For John the Baptift neither eating bread nor drinking wine and ye fay, "He hath a Devil." The Son of man is come eating and drinking: and ye fay, "Behold a gluttonous man and a "winebibber,

came

8

"winebibber, a friend of publicans and finners." But wisdom is juftified of all her children.

I design, in the first place, to explain this paffage, and afterwards to apply it to our own improvement.

I. Whereunto fhall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like? It was the cuftom of our Lord to exemplify his meaning, and to render his inftructions impreffive, by pertinent and familiar comparisons. He now represented himself as in pursuit of a fimilitude proper to illuftrate the conduct of the Jews. Immediately he produces an exact resemblance. The men of this generation are like unto children fitting in the market-place, and calling one to the other, and faying; We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. As though he had faid: "Have you never ob"ferved in the streets diffatisfied and obfti"nate children fetting themselves against "the idea of being pleafed by their playmates, and turning their backs on every sport propofed to them? When "their companions offered fome mirthful "amufement; have you not seen the "others

"others fullenly refufing to join in it? "And when to engage their fancies and "meet their humours, the fictitious repre"fentation of fome forrowful circumftance

was begun; have you not marked the "unconquerable perverfenefs with which "they withheld their attention? Thus diffatisfied, thus obftinate, thus unconquer

ably perverfe, have you proved your"felves in your proceedings with respect to

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John the Baptift and myself. God, foli"citous that you should be converted and "live, has preffed upon your acceptance "the only method of falvation, falvation "through my blood, the blood of the Lamb "of God which taketh away the fins of "the world, by two meffengers, widely

differing each from the other in appear"ance and in habits of life. John the Baptift came neither eating bread, nor drinking "wine. He came not in foft clothing, and living delicately. He difclaimed not "merely regal manfions, but the customary "abodes of men. His raiment was fack"cloth, of camels' hair: his meat locufts and "wild honey: from his birth he tasted not "wine nor ftrong drink. His dwelling

"was in the wilderness: and in the wilder"nefs he fhewed himself to Ifrael under

"the

"the auftere femblance of Elijah. How

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were you impreffed by his folemn de

meanour, his abstraction from the world, "his unbending felf-denial? Under all "these characteristic marks did you acknow ledge the preacher of Repentance? Ye faid, He hath a Devil. You exclaimed, "He is mad: he renounces the common "comforts of life: he is a morose and fu16 perftitious fanatic. He is under the de"luding power of an evil fpirit. Let him preach to the defert: regard him not. "Then came the Son of Man eating and drinking. Then began I my ministry

cr

among you then proclaimed I grace "and life eternal. As the meffenger and "the author of peace and joy and endur"ing happiness, I have fhunned all tokens "of aufterity. I have adopted no pecu"liarity of apparel. I have frequented 66 your cities. I have not refufed invita"tions to your houses. I have gratefully

accepted and temperately ufed the ordi

nary gifts of God. I have ftudied not "to fhock your prejudices by unnecessary is rigour. I have endeavoured that my private deportment as well as my public preaching fhould conciliate you to faith " and holinefs. What has been the confe"quence?

"quence? How have you received me? "Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber; "a friend of publicans and finners. Those

very circumftances in my conduct which "were calculated for the purpose of winning your regard, and diffusing inftruc"tion with greater efficacy, you have "twisted into pretexts for calumny, and

urge as reafons for denying me to be the "Meffiah. This Jefus of Nazareth, you "exclaim, maintains not that ftrictness of

manners, that severe fanctity of conduct, "which become a prophet, and are indifpenfable in one who announces himself

as more than a prophet. He is a freσε quenter of feafts, and from motives, we "doubt not, of fenfuality. The man is a

finner, and a companion of finners; an "affociate even of the unhallowed publicans, "whom every Ifraelite of common piety "abhors, whom the Son of God would in"ftantaneously drive from his presence. "Thus ye revile and reject my forerunner "and myself. From oppofite proceedings

"

you equally deduce pretences for flander, "and excufes for hardness of heart. No

messenger can be acceptable to those, who "are determined to fhut their ears to the "meffage. No preacher can render reli