must
have been specially vouchsafed to him whilst he sojourned in those
lonely wilds. He spoke once of Him "who sent him to baptize."
Evidently he had become accustomed to detect his presence and hear his
voice. Those still small accents which had fallen on the ear of his
great prototype had thrilled his soul. He, too, had seen the Lord high
and lifted up, had heard the chant of the seraphim, and had felt the
live coal touch his lips, as it had been caught from the altar by the
seraph's tongs.

This has ever been characteristic of the true prophet. He has been a
seer. He has spoken, because he has beheld with his eyes, looked upon,
and handled, the very Word of God. The Divine Prophet, speaking for
all that had preceded Him, said: "We speak that which we know, and
testify that we have seen."

In this we may have some share. It is permitted to us also to see; to
climb the Mount of Vision, and look on the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ; to have revealed to us things that eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived. Let us remember that we are
to be God's _witnesses_ in the Jerusalem of the home, the Judaea of our
immediate neighbours, and to the uttermost parts of the earth of our
profession or daily calling. God demands not advocates, but witnesses;
and we must see for ourselves, before we can bear witness to others,
the glory of that light still flushing our faces, and the accent of
conviction minted in our speech.

These are the three signs of a prophet: vision, a deep conviction of
sin and impending judgment, and the gushing forth of moving and
eloquent speech; and each of these was apparent, in an exalted and
extreme degree, in John the son of Zacharias.

II. AN ILLUSTRATIVE AND REMARKABLE PARALLEL.--As John came in the
spirit and power of Elijah, so, four hundred years ago, in the lovely
city of Florence, a man was sent from God to testify against the sins
of his age, who in many particulars so exactly corresponds with our
Lord's forerunner that the one strongly recalls the other, and it may
help us to bring the circumstances of the Baptist's ministry within a
measurable distance of ourselves if we briefly compare them with the
career of Girolamo Savonarola. It must, of course, be always borne in
mind that the great Florentine could lay no claim to the peculiar and
unique position and power of the Baptist. But, in many respects, there
is a remarkable parallel and sim