they should believe on him †, who was to come after, for remiffion of fins, and deliverance from the wrath to come. He therefore exhorted them not to truft in their natural relation to Abraham, circumcifion, alms-deeds, &c. but in CHRIST JESUS. But this wisdom and counfel of God, in fending John to preach the baptifm of repentance, the Scribes and Pharifees rejected, because they trufted in themfelves that they were righteous. But his difciples, who believed his doctrine, (many of whom were publicans and harlots) understood, and gladly received his preaching: for, when two of them heard John fay (as he looked at JESUS walking) behold the Lamb of God, they immediately left their firft teacher, and followed CHRIST; nor doth it appear that they ever returned to him again: for John's office was to go before the face of the LORD JESUS, to prepare his way by preaching the baptifm of repentance, and thus he made ready a people prepared for the Lord §; who as foon as they heard of him followed, and obeyed him¶; for John could only baptize with water, but CHRIST, whom he pointed out to his disciples, be + Acts, xix. 4. § Luke i. 17. L 3 ↑ Luke vii. 30. Pfal. xviii. 44. ing || John i. 36. ing the Son of GOD, the SAVIOUR' of the world, he baptizeth his difciples with the Holy Ghoft Yet it was a long time before fome of John's difciples met with CHRIST, and heard of him, so as to understand and receive the bleffings and pri vileges of his everlafting Gospel; notwithstanding their being prepared, and ready to receive then for Apollos, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, who taught in public the way of the LORD, and fpake boldly in the fynagogue, knew only the baptifm of John, until Prifcilla and Aquila had expounded to him the way of God more perfely the twelve difciples, alfo which Paul met with at Ephefus had not fo much as heard whether there was any Holy Ghost; but the Apoftle having explained to them more clearly the nature and end of John's baptifm, they were re-baptized in the name of the LORD JESUS; and then Paul laying his hands on them, the Holy Ghoft came upon them, with his miraculous gifts and powers, which at that time was the general token and sign of their having believed that JESUS was the CHRIST, the Son of GOD. Thus we fee how John was fent before the face of the LORD, as an harbinger, to proclaim his Luke, iii. 16. † Acts, xviii. 26, coming, Acts, xix. 6, coming, and also to prepare his way by preaching the neceffity of repentance towards GOD; and thereby he made ready a people cordially to welcome, and receive the Meffiah: for John's doctrine tended to fubvert and utterly abolish every man's legal truft, and carnal hope of being faved by his own righteoufnefs; and, on the contrary, he encouraged finners of every fort and degree (the most wicked and abandoned not excepted) to turn to God, and look for remiffion of fins by Jesus CHRIST, who would baptize them (that believed on him) with the Holy GHOST.-Thus he fet the Pharifee and the Publican, the Harlot, and the felf-righteous Scribe, upon an equal footing in point of acceptance with GOD. Those who were lifted up, and high in their own conceit, he brought low; and they who were dejected, defponding, and ready to perish, because of their exceeding finfulness and unworthinefs, he lifted up by exprefly teaching and testifying that CHRIST was the LAMB of GOD which taketh away the fin of the world, and that whofoever believed on bim should not perish but have eternal life*. This I doubt not is the fenfe of that fublime paffage in Isaiah, which is applied to John's ministry; L 4 Atry; every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and bill fhall be brought low, and the crooked fhall be made ftrait, and the rough places plain, and all flef fball fee the falvation of God. Yet John the Baptift was no enemy to the practice of moral duties, nor countenanced licentious and vicious practices, but quite the contrary: he infifted upon fruits meet for repentancet, and boldly reproved Herod for all the evils be had done; and when the multitude afked of him what they fhould do, he faid; be that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none, and he that bath meat let him do likewife, (without expecting to merit Heaven thereby ;) and to the publicans he faid, exact no more than that which is appointed you; and to the Roman foldiers, accuje no man falfely, and be content with your wages. For he did not preach against the obfervance of divine ordinances, and the practice of moral duties; but against their trusting in them, and placing them in the room of CHRIST; who as he alfo teftified, would fet up and establish the Kingdom of GoD, and put an end to the fhadow that went before it; (i. e.) to the Mofaical rites, and Levitical priefthood and fervice: becaufe its image and fubftance was now come. Confo Ifa. xl. 4, 5.′′ + Luke iii. 19. Luke iii. 5, 6. + Matt. iii. 8. Confonant to this doctrine of John, CHRIST told the Pharifees that he came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance-Paul alfo, and all the Apostles preached repentance as it is a change of mind, and turning of the heart to GoD, from all idols, felf-righteoufnefs, and carnal confidence; and infifted likewife on the fruits thereof: Hence he faith in the Text; Teftifying to the Jews and alfo to the Greeks repentance towards God. The whole world, Jews as well as Heathens, were gone out of the way of life, and peace, and knew not the truth according to godliness; whose pride of heart, and felf-righteousness, produced practical unrighteousness, and all uncleannefe: because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish beart was darkened: profeffing themselves to be wife, they became fools. Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness thro' the lufts of their own hearts, and even unto vile and unnatural affections; because they had changed the truth of God into a lie and whereas they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, he also gave them over to a reprobate mind†, to do thofe things which are fhamefully filthy, impious, Matt. ix, 13. + Rom. i. 21, 28. and |