28 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED God, to baptize in water thofe who con- feffed their fins and adhered to his mi- niflry, great numbers of all ranks, feas, and charaaers, furrounded him in the defart, and, confeffing their unworthinefs and finfulnefs, were baptizedby him in the river Jordan. John, when he began his miniflry, did not come to Jerufalem, or the adjacent cities of Judea, but continued about the banks of the noted river Jordan, which, on many accounts, feemed proper to fa- vour the defigns of his preaching; for there had been fo many wonderful things tranfaaed near this facred fiream, that it naturally prepared the minds of the people . to expel fomething extraordinary. Near the banks of this river it was that the prophet Elijah, who was the type of John the Baptifl, was taken in a fiery chariot up to heaven: and what could be more natural, than to fee the great perfon, who was the Elias fpoken of by Malachi, difcover the fpirit and power of that great ancient prophet, near the flream- which formerly was divided by the flroke of his mantle. A circumflance which greatly furprifed the Baptift, was the great numbers of Pharifees and Sadducees who attended his miniflry, and came to his baptifm, The Pharifees, he knew, pretended to the higheft degree of fanaity and holinefs of life ; and the Sadducees believed there would be no future hate of rewards and punifhments. It was therefore furprifing, that either of thefe parties fhould feek- after remiffron of fins, for the former pre- tended to have no fins that required par-' don, and the other nothing to expea after death, as the confequence of them. Nor can we fuppofe that John, when he began his minifiry, expeaed to fee the whole nation fo much affeaed with his threatening as was really the cafe ; for he knew that the common people had a great dependence on God's covetaant with 3 Abraham, and expelled to find favour with the fupreme Governor and Judge of the univerfe on that account: to check their daring prefumption, and dif- courage every hope of divine favour, while they lived ungodly and immoral lives, he addreffed them in this alarming language. 0 generation of vipers! who hath warned you to fleefront the wrath to come? Bring forthfruits therefore worthy of repentance, and beginnot tofay we have Abraham to our father: for Ifay untoyou, that God is able of thefe (ones to raífe up children to Abraham. And now the axe is laid unto the root of the tree: every tree therefore, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and call into thefire. The Baptift thus demolifhed every hope of divine acceptance arifing from the co- venant God made with Abraham ; and proclaimed to the world, that the glories of his kingdom would fhortly be revealed, and a way of acceptance opened, to which a hearty and fincere repentance of fin was a neceffary preparative. The awful mari- ner in which this great man pronounced thefe folemn truths alarmed and terrified the nation ; and a mixt multitude crouded around him, full of anxiety and trouble, inquiring what they fhould do: In an- fwer to this, he informed them, that an hearty and fincere repentance of their fins, fhould be accompanied with als of mercy and benevolence. He that hath two coats, Paid he, let him impart to hint that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewife. Amongft the multi- tudes which furrounded this wonderful man, were numbers of publicans, who were collelors of the Roman taxes. They were, on that account, odious to the Jews, and had rendered themfelves more fo, by injuflice and extortion. As theirs was a particular cafe, they applied to him for particular advice, and his anfwer was, Exall no more than that which is appointed you. Similar to their cafe, was that of the foldiers; who being men trained up to cruelty, (laughter, and all
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