any means he might convince them of SECT. V.
fin, and lead them to true repentance.
"O generation of vipers, who hath
" warned you
to flee from the wrath to
"come?" You, who seem to have
taken poffeffion of the inheritance, as
if Meffiah would never appear to claim
it; you, who truft in yourselves that
you are righteous, and defpife others;
come you to me, to be baptized with
publicans and finners? What can be
the reafon of all this? What can be
your motive? The business in hand is
not one to be trifled with. Hypocrify
has no place here; nor will the exter-
nal fhew, without the internal work,
in this cafe, avail to any thing, but
condemnation. "Bring forth therefore
"fruits meet for repentance:" be not
barren, but " bring forth;" bring forth
not leaves only, or fair profeffions, pro-
mises, and designs, but "fruits," or
good deeds; and fuch as may be "wor-

thy" of the tree on which they grow;
fuch as may advance to maturity, and
ripen into holiness. "And think not
"to say within yourselves, We have
"Abraham to our father:"
M

many will

here

SECT.V. hereafter fay that, to little purpose. A

defcent from the loins of Abraham will
profit none, but those who are like A-
braham. His true children are reckoned
by faith, not confanguinity. Imagine
not that the favour of heaven is heredi-
tary and indefeafible in the line of Abra-
ham according to the flesh, or that the
divine promises must fail, if not made
good to you;
"for I fay unto you, that
"God is able of these ftones to raise up
"children unto Abraham;" by the
power of his grace he can make con-
verts of nations at prefent utterly bar-
ren, unfruitful, obdurate, who fhall in-
herit the bleffing which you reject. Nor
let the confideration, that Meffiah has
fo long delayed his coming, induce you
to be careless and negligent: "for now
"is the ax laid to the root of the tree:"
believe me, he is at hand; your trial
will foon be over, and your fate deter-
mined; the decifive and irremediable
ftroke will be truck, if not prevented
by a timely repentance, a speedy and
real change of heart and manners;
"every tree which bringeth not forth

into the fire." Hitherto God hath SECT. V, born with your errors and iniquities, but he will do so no longer. The law hath been given, and the prophets have been fent; but they are not regarded; and therefore he is coming, after whom no other messenger is to be expected from above. He will be the Saviour of all, who, from a fenfe of their fins, fhall be ready to embrace him as fuch. I am not that perfon, but the least and loweft of his fervants, fent before to give notice of his approach, and pre"I indeed pare you to receive him.

baptize you with water unto repent"ance;" but it is he who must grant remiffion of fins repented of; "he that

cometh after me is mightier than I, “whose fhoes I am not worthy to bear;" he brings with him almighty power from on high, to pardon fins, and confer grace; he fhall baptize you with "the Holy Ghost and with fire," to fanctify your natures, to purify, enlighten, and inflame your hearts with the defire and love of celestial objects. At his appearance, he will try and make manifeft the tempers and difpofitions of M 2

men.

SECT.V. men.

Deceit and hypocrify fhall not ftand before him. "His fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge "his floor," fifting and winnowing that which is good from that which seems to be fo; " and he will gather his wheat " into his garner," translate to heaven all that is pure, fubftantial, and fruitful; "but he will burn up the chaff,” whatsoever is fallacious, light, empty, and barren, "with unquenchable fire," in hell.

SUCH a discourse from fuch a perfon occafioned great searchings in the hearts of the people. They found all the vain opinions and presumptions, on which they had been accustomed to rely, fuddenly taken from them, and nothing left, but to put themselves forthwith under the direction of fo holy and heavenly a preacher. With fear and trembling they applied to him, as the affrighted gaoler afterwards did to Paul and Silas, faying, "What shall we do “ then a?” And when a penitent will afk advice of his fpiritual guide, with a determined refolution to follow it, he a Luke iii. 10, &c.

a

is not far from the kingdom of God. SECT.V. He is fenfible of his disease; and that, in the maladies of the mind, is half the cure. St. John, in his answer, enjoins not legal, but evangelical facrifices, exhorting his converts to fhew the fincerity of their converfion by loving their neighbours, and relieving their neceffities, as God had loved and relieved them. "He that hath two coats, let "him impart to him that hath none; "and he that hath meat let him do "likewife." Thefe works of feeding and clothing the poor, including all other acts of mercy under them, are mentioned, as being the most necessary and indispensable; and he, says a pious writer upon this paffage, who is not moved with his brother's mifery, deferves to find God unmoved with his

own.

AMONG others that came to be baptized, were some publicans, or tax-gatherers; a fet of men, whose employment rendered them odious, as it often tempted them to court the favour of those who employed them, or to gratify their own avarice, by fleecing the people.