And he was a burning Light, as he was full of a Spirit of fervent Piety and Holiness, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mother's Womb, having his Heart warmed and inflamed with a great Love to Christ, being that Friend of the Bridegroom, that stood and heard him, and rejoiced greatly because of the Bridegroom's Voice; and was glad that Christ increased, though he decreased, John 3.29, 30. ⟨p. 5⟩And was animated with a Holy Zeal in the Work of the Ministry: He came in this Respect in the Spirit and Power of Elijah; as Elijah was zealous in bearing Testimony against the Corruption, Apostasies, and Idolatries of Israel in his Day, so was John the Baptist in testifying against the Wickedness of the Jews in his Day: As Elijah zealously reproved the Sins of all Sorts of Persons in Israel, not only the Sins of the common People, but of their great ones, Ahab, Ahaziah and Jezebel, and their false Prophets; with what Zeal did John the Baptist reprove all Sorts of Persons, not only the Publicans and Soldiers, but the Pharisees and Sadducees, telling them plainly that they were a Generation of Vipers, and rebuked the Wickedness of Herod in his most beloved Lust, tho' Herod sought his Life for it, as Ahab and Ahaziah did Elijah's. As Elijah was much in warning the People of God's approaching Judgments, denouncing God's awful Wrath against Ahab, Jezebel and Ahaziah, and the Prophets of Baal, and the People in general: So was John the Baptist, much in warning the People to fly from the Wrath to come, telling them in the most awakening Manner, that the Axe was laid at the Root of the Tree, and that every Tree that brought not forth good Fruit should be hewn down and cast into the Fire, and that he that came after him had his Fan in his Hand, and that he would throughly purge his Floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner, and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire.
And he was a burning Light, as he was full of a Spirit of fervent Piety and Holiness, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mother's Womb, having his Heart warm'd and enflamed with a great Love to Christ, being that Friend of the Bridegroom, that stood and heard him, and rejoiced greatly because of the Bridegroom's Voice; and was glad that Christ increased, though he decreased, John 3.29, 30. ⟨p. 5⟩And was animated with a Holy Zeal in the Work of the Ministry: He came in this Respect in the Spirit and Power of Elias; as Elias was zealous in bearing Testimony against the Corruption, Apostacies, and Idolatries of Israel in his Day, so was John the Baptist in testifying against the Wickedness of the Jews in his Day: As Elias zealously reproved the Sins of all Sorts of Persons in Israel, not only the Sins of the common People, but of their great ones, Ahab, Ahaziah and Jezabel, and their false Prophets; with what Zeal did John the Baptist reprove all Sorts of Persons, not only the Publicans and Soldiers, but the Pharisees and Sadducees, telling them plainly that they were a Generation of Vipers, and rebuked the Wickedness of Herod in his most beloved Lust, tho' Herod sought his Life for it, as Ahab and Ahaziah did Elijah's. As Elias was much in warning the People of God's approaching Judgments, denouncing God's awful Wrath against Ahab, Jezebel and Ahaziah, and the Prophets of Baal, and the People in general: So was John the Baptist, much in warning the People to fly from the Wrath to come, telling them in the most awakening Manner, that the Ax was laid at the Root of the Tree, and that every Tree that brought not forth good Fruit should be hewn down and cast into the Fire, and that he that came after him had his Fan in his Hand, and that he would throughly purge his Floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner, and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire.
