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the Jews, yet we find when John the Baptift preach'd this Doctrine they did not understand the Meaning and Imof it; for we are inform'd that the People ask'd him, saying, What fhall We do then? Now as this Queftion evidently implies the Ignorance of those that put it, fo it as plainly gives us Reason to expect a plain Explication of the Duty he taught, and they needed Inftruction in; so that in the Baptiff's Reply to this Question, we may reasonably hope to find a full and fatisfactory Account of this previous and neceffary Duty.

To the People in general who ask'd, What fall we do then? he gives this Anfwer: He that hath two Coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath Meat, let him do likewife. To the Publicans, who coming to be baptized, ask'd the fame Question, his Anfwer is, Exalt no more than that which is appointed you: And to the

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Soldiers, who likewife demanded of him, faying, And what shall we do? He reply'd, Do violence to no Man, neither accufe any falfly, and be content with your Wages, Luke iii. 10--14. We are told, that many other things in his Exhortation he preached unto the People, but thofe before recited are left upon Record, as containing in them a full and fufficient Account of this Doctrine.

Now we cannot but fee from the meer mention of the Baptift's several Answers to the Questions put to him by these different Perfons, that the whole Business of Repentance lies in this, that every fort of Men fhould renounce that Sin, fhould overcome that particular evil Habit which they know themselves to be enflav'd to, and their own Conscience cannot but upbraid them with. A very fhort, fimple, and intelligible, and withal, a very full and complete Doctrine! The feveral

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Parties acquiefced in his Reply; no farther Questions arofe, they were baptized of him in Fordan confeffing their Sins. Had the Baptift in answer to these Querifts talk'd to them in the Language of the School-men, and branch'd out his Doctrine of Repentance into Confeffion, Attrition, Contrition, and other fuch-like dark Subtilties, Questions and Answers would have arifen fo thick, and numerous, that a Book of the Bulk of our whole New-Teftament could hardly have contained them; and at last, nothing could have been learned from them, unless perhaps a Knack of unedifying Difputation. This seems to be the plain and fimple Idea of the Baptift's Repentance; it is an Appeal to the natural Confcience of every Sinner, an Address to him to reform his known Vices, and further it goes not. As we proceed we shall fee other Duties arife out of this, which have by

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many Writers been confounded with it, and with one another; tho' in the Scripture they are kept apart with the most exact Distinctness.

My next Business is to confider this Repentance as a Foundation, as the Preparation of the Way of the Lord, as the first thing to be done in order to our acquiring that Love of God and our Neighbour, which our Lord exemplify'd in his Behaviour, which is declared in the most express Terms to be the end of the Commandment, the great Design of all Revelation, and which I have before fhewn to be the utmost Perfection and Happiness of human Nature.

Let us confider honeftly with our felves what would be fit for a Person to do first, who had taken upon him the Reformation of a wicked and perverse People, to change their Tempers and Manners, and to raise them to the highest and most heroick Virtue.

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Virtue. With what Doctrines, or Duties, or Difcipline, fhould he be gin? Is not this Repentance plainly, in the Nature of things, the first Step to be taken, the only right Settingout? With what else can he begin? Suppose a Sinner to be exercis'd or employ'd in any other manner whatfoever, what will it avail, whilft his predominant evil Habit ftill governs, and he gives way to the Sin that fo cafily befets him? Is it poffible, in this Cafe, there fhould be any Improvement, any Progress in Virtue? on the contrary, can there be any greater Progress in Vice, than to act in direct Oppofition to our Confcience, or our Reason?

There cannot certainly be a readier Method to reclaim a Sinner, than to appeal to the Reafon he has, whatever it be. If there are any Remains of Truth or Virtue, of real Conviction or right Consciousness, there must

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