and preaches the Baptifm of Repentance.

rias, in the Wilderness [of Judea.] [MAT. III. 1.—]

3 And [MAR. John did

baptize in the Wilderness, and] came into all the Country about Jordan, preaching the Baptism of Repentance, for the Remiffion of Sins; [MAT. III. 1. MARK I. 4.]

MAT. III. 2. And saying, Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.

97

who had lived for several Years retired in the SECT.15.
Wilderness of Judea. Compare Luke i. 80.
pag. 38.

And John, at the firft Opening of his Mi-
niftry, did preach with great Power and bap-
tize in the Wilderness; and perceiving the
People inclined to pay an attentive Regard
to his Doctrine, he did not confine himself
to that Wilderness alone, but came into all
the Country about Jordan, and went a Pro-
grefs over it, from one Place to another,
on both Sides the River; preaching every
where, as he went along, the Baptifm of
Repentance for the Remiffion of Sins; earneft-
ly exhorting Men, to repent of all the Ir-
regularities of their Lives, and to be bap-
tized in Token of their fincere Defire to be
washed and cleanfed from them; and affu-
ring them at the fame Time, that if they
attended on this Inftitution in a truly peni-
tent Manner, they might confider it as a
Pledge and Token of their being forgiven
by GoD.

Luke III. 2.

3

And while he was thus urging his Exhor- Mat. III. 2; tation, and faying, Repent ye; he pleaded with them a very new and important Argument, for (faid he,) the long expected Kingdom of Heaven is now approaching (b); and GoD is

about

eft Violence imaginable to the whole Paffage. How much eafier would it be, to admit of a little more Latitude in the Interpretation of Dan. ix. 26. an Aversion to which seems to have plunged that accurate and ingenious Writer into a Train of inextricable Difficulties, thro' all the latter Part of his Second Effay.

(b) The Kingdom of Heaven is approaching.] Dr. Sykes in his Efay on the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, chap. 3. has largely proved, that this Phrafe refers to thofe Texts in Daniel quoted in the Paraphrafe. It properly fignifies the Gospel-Difpenfation, in which Subjects were to be gathered to God by his Son, and a Society to be formed, which was to fubfift firft in more imperfect Circumstances on Earth, but afterwards was to appear compleat in the World of Glory. In fome Places of Scripture, the Phrase more particularly fignifies the former, and denotes the State of it on Earth: (See Mat. xiii. throughout, efpecially ver. 41, 47. and Mat. xx 1.) And fometimes it fignifies only the State of Glory: (1 Cor. vi. 9. and xv. 50.) But it nerally includes both. It is plain, that the Jews understood it of a Temporal Monarchy, which God would erect; the Seat of which they supposed would be Jerusalem,

VOL. I.

N

gen

which

98

The Defign of his Coming foretold by Ifaiah.

SECT. 15. about to appear in an extraordinary Manner, to erect that Kingdom spoken of by Daniel, Mat. III. 2. (chap. ii. 44. and vii. 13, 14.) as the King

Luke III. 4.

dom of the GOD of Heaven, which he

would fet up, and give to the Son of Man;
making it finally victorious over all other
Kingdoms. It is therefore (faid the Baptist,)
of the highest Importance, that you should
be the Subjects of this Kingdom; which
without a fincere and univerfal Repentance,
you cannot poffibly be.

And upon this Occafion, he failed not to
repeat, and to infift upon that Paffage of
Scripture, (which has in Part been juft now
mentioned,) making it evident, that this was
all exactly as it is written in the Book of
Difcourfes and Prophecies of the Prophet I-
faiah; for this indeed is he, who was spoken
of fo exprefsly by that Sacred Writer, (chap.
xl. 3, 4, 5.) when he is faying, with a ma-
nifest Reference to the Meffiah's Kingdom,
"There shall be heard the Voice of one cry-

ing aloud in the Wilderness; Prepare ye "the Way of the Lord with the moft thank"ful Readiness, and chearfully fet yourselves "to make his Paths ftraight and plain, by "removing every thing which might prove

LUKE III. 4. As it is

written in the Book of the

Words of Efaias the Pro

phet, [for this is he that was spoken of,] faying, The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, make his Paths ftraight: [MAT. III. 3.1

5 Every Valley fhall be filled, and every Mountain and Hill fhall be brought

low;

which would become, inftead of Rome, the Capital of the World; and the expected
Sovereign of this Kingdom, they learnt from Daniel, to call the Son of Man; by
which Title they understood a very excellent Perfon, who was the promised Meffiah,
the Chrift, or the Anointed One of GOD. Both John the Baptift then, and Christ, took
up this Phrafe, and ufed it as they found it, and gradually taught the Jews to affix
right Ideas to it, tho' it was a Leffon they were remarkably unwilling to learn. This
very Demand of Repentance fhewed, it was a Spiritual Kingdom; and that no wicked
Man, how politick, or brave, how learned, or renowned foever, could poffibly be a
genuine Member of it. See my Sermons on Regeneration, Numb. IV. pag. 106,-117.
(i) Every Mountain and Hill shall be brought down before him.] Grotius has most
elegantly illuftrated the Reference, that appears fo plainly in this Paffage, to the Custom
of fending Pioneers, to level the Way before Princes, when they are coming with nu-

merous

low; and the crooked fhall be made straight, and the rough Ways fhall be made fmooth;

ty

99

The remarkable Manner of John's Appearance.
"even the crooked Roads fhall be made into a SECT. 15.
ftraight Way, and the rough Places fhall'
"be laid smooth and level: For by the migh- Luke III. 5.
Power of his Grace, which shall be now
" remarkably displayed, fuch a victorious
"Way shall be made for his Gospel, and it
"shall be propagated with fuch Speed and
"Succefs, that it fhall feem, as if the whole
"Face of Nature were miraculously chan-
ged, and Mountains and Valleys, and Fo-
"refts and Rocks, were to fpread them-.
"felves into a spacious Plain before the Mef-
fenger of it. And thus, not the Land 6
"of Ifrael alone, but all Flesh, or the whole
"Human Race, not excepting the remotest
"Gentile Nations, fhall fee and admire the
great Salvation of GOD.”

6 And all Flesh fhall fee the Salvation of GOD..

MAT. III. 4. And the same John had his Raiment thern Girdle about his Loins, and his Meat was Locufts and

of Camel's Hair, and a Lea

Now, that this extraordinary Meffage Mat. III. 4. might meet with the greater Regard, GoD was pleafed to fend it by a Perfon on many Accounts remarkable; and especially for the Temperance, and even the Severity of his Manner of Living. For this John wore, (as the antient Prophets used to do,) a rough Garment, which was made of Camel's Hair, and fo indeed was but a Kind of Sackcloth; and he had a Leathern Girdle about his Wafte: (Compare 2 Kings i. 8. Zech. xiii. 4. Rev. vi. 12. and xi. 3.) And as for his Food, it was such as the Wilderness afforded, which was frequently nothing but a large Kind of Locusts (k), which the Law allowed him to

eat;

merous Attendants. But by the Import of the Language that the Prophet ufes, it is plainly to be feen, that the main Work is GOD's, tho' Men are called to concur with him in it; which is every where the Scheme of Scripture, as it certainly is of found Reafon. Compare Phil. ii. 12, 13.

(k) A large Kind of Locusts.] Tho' it may be allowed, on the Authority of the accurate Sandys, (fee his valuable Travels, pag. 183.) and many others, that there is in thefe Parts a Shrub called the Locuft-Tree, the Buds of which fomething resemble Afparagus; yet notwithstanding all the Pains Sir Norton Knatchbull has taken to prove it, cannot imagine the Word axpides is here to be understood, as referring to the Product of it. It is certain, the Word in the Septuagint, and elfewhere, generally fig

N 2

nifies

100

Multitudes come and are baptized by him.

I. 6.]

SECT. 15.eat; (Lev. xi. 21, 22.) and wild Honey, of- and wild Honey, [MARK ten to be found in hollow Trees, or in the Mat. III. 4. Clefts of the Rocks. (Compare 1 Sam. xiv. 26. Judg. xiv. 8. and Pfal. lxxxi. 16.)

5

These uncommon Circumstances of his publick Appearance concurred with the Time of it, to awaken in the People a great Regard for his Preaching: For their Uneafinefs under the Roman Yoke, which then bore hard upon them, raised the most impatient Defire of the Meffiah's Arrival, by whom they expected, not only Deliverance, but Conqueft, and univerfal Monarchy. They therefore attentively listened to this Proclamation of his Approach; fo that the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, and Multitudes out of all the Land of Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, went out to hear him, and were attentive to 6 him (1) And great Numbers of them were brought under very ferious Impreffions, by his faithful Remonftrances, Expoftulations, and Warnings; and those that were awakened to Repentance, were all baptized by bini in the River Jordan, expreffing the Convictions they were under by confeffing their

Sins,

5 Then went out to him [they of] Jerufalem, and all [the Land of] Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, [Mark I. 5.—].

6 And were [all] baptized" of him in [the River of] Jordan,

nifies the Animal which we call a Locust, or a large winged Grafhopper, (See Rev. ix, 3, 7, 9.) which the Law allowed the Jews to eat; (Lev. xi. 21, 22.) and which Pliny affures us, made a confiderable Part of the Food of the Parthians and Ethiopians. (See Plin. Nat. Hift. lib. xi. cap. 29. and lib. vi. cap. 30.) The Matter is excellently illuftrated by the learned Notes of Heinfius, Drufius, and Elfner on this Place: But Erafmus is tedioufly prolix upon it; and, which is ftrange, he is very warm too. What Need have we to keep a Guard upon our Spirits, when fo great and fo goodnatured a Man could be angry, in a Debate of fo fmall Importance! I fhall add only on this Point, with refpect to the Ufe of Locusts for Food, what Dr. Shaw tells us, that when sprinkled with Salt, and fried, they tafte much like the River Gray-fish, who juftly contends for this Signification of the Word anpides, in his excellent Travels, pag. 258. Where he alfo obferves, that as the Months of April and May are the Time when thefe Infects abound, it may probably be conjectured, that John began his Ministry about that Season of the Year; which might also feem more convenient for receiving, and cfpecially for baptizing, fo great a Number of People, than Winter

could have been..

(1) Went out to him.] The Novelty of a Prophet's Appearance in Ifrael, the Family of John, the Circumftances of his Birth, and the extraordinary Character, he had no doubt maintained, for ftrict and undiffembled Piety, all concurred with the Caufes mentioned in the Paraphrafe, to draw fuch vaft Multitudes after him.

Reflections on the Preaching of John.

ΙΘΙ

Jordan, confeffing their Sins. Sins, and by fubmitting to this Rite enga-SECT. 15. [MARK I.—5.] ging themselves for the future to Reformation and Obedience.

WH

IMPROVEMENT.

Mat. III. 6.

ITH what Pleasure should we hear the Gospel of Jefus Chrift Mark i. r..
the Son of GOD! and with what Reverence remember the

Dignity of his Divine Nature, amidst all the Condefcenfions of his
Incarnate State!

It is furely Matter of unfpeakable Thankfulness, that the Kingdom Mat. iii. 2. of Heaven fhould be erected among Men! that the Great GOD fhould condescend fo far, as to take to himself a People from our mean and finful World, and appoint his own Son to be the Governour of that Kingdom! How happy are we, that it is preach'd among us, and we are called into it! Let it be our great Care, that we be not only nominal, but real Members of it.

For this Purpose, let us remember, and confider, that to become the Subjects of this Kingdom we are to enter into it by the Way of Repentance; humbly confeffing our Sins, and refolutely forfaking Ver. 6. them, if we do indeed defire to find Mercy.

Let us blefs GOD, both for the Promifes of Pardon, and for the Luke iii. 3.. Appointment of the Seals of it, particularly of Baptismal Washing ; always remembring the Obligation it brings upon us, to cleanse ourSelves from all Filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of GOD. (2 Cor. vii. 1.)

And being ourselves become Members of Chrift's Kingdom, let us Ver. 4; 6.. pray that it may be every where extended. May Divine Grace remove every Obstruction, and make a free Course for his Gospel, that it may every where run and be glorified, so that all Flesh may fee the Salvation of GOD!

John, with this awful Severity of Manners, and of Doctrine, Mat. iii. was fent before Chrift to prepare his Way. Let us learn to reflect, how neceffary it is, that the Law fhould thus introduce the Gospel; and let all the Terrors of Mofes, and Elias, render the mild and. bleffed Redeemer fo much the more welcome to our Souls.

SEC T..