Catalogue of Chriftian Principles, it is the first of the Rudiments or Elements of the Oracles of God. It is call'd Milk for Babes, that is, a Doctrine fuited to our first fetting out in the Reformation of our Lives, and adapted to the Weakness of our fpiritual Childhood.

John the Baptift, who was fent out to prepare the Way of our Lord, and to difpofe the People in general for his better Reception; who was the κήρυξ xnput or Herald of the Meffiah, appointed to proclaim his Coming and the Approach of his Kingdom, that all Men through him might believe; This John, I fay, taught no other Doctrine but that of Repentance; Repentance was the Special Means of preparing the Way of the Lord; the first Step to be taken by all who would go on to Perfection; the Introduction to the Belief of that Gospel which was to be preach'd to all Nations, and which

who

whofoever believed and was baptized, fhould be faved, and whofoever believed not fhould be damned.

John did no mighty Work; but our Lord, who taught the fame Doctrine of Repentance, confirm'd and enforced it by many Miracles. After this, our Lord call'd unto him the Twelve, and began to fend them forth by two and two, and they went out and preach'd, that Men should repent. We find (in the Sixth Chapter of St. Mark, Verse 7, 12, 13.) that they caft out Devils, and anointed with Oil many that were fick, and healed them. After this, he appointed other Seventy also, and fent them two by two before his Face, into every City and Place whither he himself would come. The Business of these Seventy was still the fame, to prepare his Way by preaching Repentance and the Approach of the Kingdom; to them allo the Devils were fubject (Luke x. 1-17.)

which, by the way, accounts for the Reason (John iv.1 2.) why Jefus baptized more Difciples than John, though Fefus himself baptized not, but his Difciples.

I would obferve further in this Hiftorical way, that 'tis more than probable, that many of the twelve Difciples whom our Lord chofe, were taken out of John's, as having been prepared by him for their future Office in the way of Repentance. We are exprefly told, that two of John's Dif ciples follow'd Jefus, one of whom was Andrew, Simon Peter's Brother (John i. 37-40.) and when one was to be put into the Place of Judas, this Qualification is recited, that he must be one who had companied with them, all the time the Lord Jefus went in and out amongst them, beginning from the Baptifm of John. It seems here to be imply'd, they all began with John's Baptifm, which our Lord himself alfo fubmitted to and declared it necef

Sary

fary to his fulfilling all Righteousness. Math. iii. 15.

From the Paffages before cited it abundantly appears that Repentance is the first Means prescrib'd, in order to arrive at that great End of all Revelation, the Love of God and our Neighbour; that it is the Foundation of all After-improvement; that where this Foundation is not laid, this first Step taken, there can be no kind of Progress made in Virtue, but on the contrary, we muft, like the unbelieving Jews, grow worse and worse, ever learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth.

Seeing then Repentance is a Duty of so great Importance, it behoves us to enquire into the Nature of it with the utmost Strictness and Attention.

'Tis true that all Foundations, Elements, and initiatory Inftructions are of fmall Value when compar'd with the great things they lead to; there is accord

accordingly the fame Difproportion in the present Cafe as there is betwixt learning the Rudiments of Science, and making Advances in it; but nevertheless feeing thefe Rudiments are abfolutely necessary to the Attainment of these great things, the Beginning ought to be attended to as much as the End it felf, a right fetting out being half the Work.

Let us then enquire into the Nature of Repentance, and confider it as the first Step to be taken, as the Preparation of the Way of the Lord; For if we do not keep Duties apart, and treat them with Diftinctncls; if we do not range them in their proper Places, and according to their refpective Subordinations, we fhall never know how to proceed, where we are to begin or end, we shall fight as thofe who beat the Air.

Tho' Repentance was far from being a new or unheard of Doctrine amongst

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