retained, but of this he kept only the form. The new and original purpose, to which he applied it, may be collected from his baptismal doctrine. The leading points of it fhew, that the Holy Ghoft, with which John had been filled from the womb, imparted to him juft views of the religious state of Ifrael, at that time; and enabled him to predict the characteristical principles and nature of the Gospel-kingdom, which he declared to be at hand, together with the rejection of the Jews, and the admiffion of the Gentiles.

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand," was the awakening notice, upon which his baptifmal exhortation was grounded. The expreffion itself was not ftrange to his hearers, nor the intelligence, which he gave them, unexpected. It coincided with the popular opinion, and as, in the Jewish sense, it was extremely pleafing, the completion of it was impatiently defired. We may therefore imagine, that the Baptist was readily underftood to announce the approach of the Mef

b

βασιλείαν

• Matth. xii. 28. xvi. 19. Luke xvii. 20, 21. Lightfoot, Vol. 1. pag. 568. fq.-Whitby, Matth. iii. 2. ταῦθος των παρεσίαν αὐτῷ (Χρίσει) τώ το προτέραν να τὴν ἐχάτην

asy. Chryfoft. Hom. X. in Matth. loc. cit.

fias.

fias. The phrafe feems to be thus interpreted in many paffages of Scripture; and John applied it, in the greatest latitude, to denote the whole oeconomy of things under the Meffias.

Indeed, the Baptist and his audience entirely disagreed in their notion of that state. The opinion, entertained of it by the Jews, may perhaps, on the authority of their own writers, as well as of the Scripture, be juftly ftated in the fubfequent particulars.

с

d

They expected, that the fplendor and folemnity of their civil and religious conftitution would then be raised to the utmost height; and Scripture had been strained to justify that fond belief, which zeal for the law had suggested, and the voice of tradition confirmed. They prefumed also, that the dispersed of Ifrael would be gathered to

Maimonides fays, the Jews expected, that the nations, roused at the exhortation of the Meffias, would turn to the Law. See Lightfoot Harmony, 1ft part. pag. 14.

d It was expected that the Meffias fhould restore the kingdom of the house of David to its old glory, and build the temple, and bring home all the difperfed of Ifrael and that Ifrael fhould then be at reft from the kingdom of wickedness, to ftudy the Law and the Commandments without disquietude. Lightfoot, Vol. 1. p. 568, from Maimonides. Perhaps there are traces of this opinion in the Gospels. John xi. 52.

John viii. 39. It fhall be the morning to Ifrael, but night to the nations of the world. Ifrael in the time to

come

gether in their own land, and that the bleffings of the Meffiah's kingdom would be conferred upon them, by right of defcent from Abraham, and in virtue of the divine promise, to the 'exclufion of all other nations. They expected further, that the oppreffion of the kingdoms would then ceafe, and not only political liberty, but also political dominion, be reftored to Ifrael.

Thus had they represented the kingdom of heaven to themselves; and that blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, for which they were reproved fo feverely, and have now fuffered fo long, may be ultimately refolved into these principles. How greatly they mistook their own religious ftate, and the nature of the Meffiah's kingdom, the representation of both, given by the Baptift, will fufficiently discover.

He "preached, the Baptifm of Repentance" -that, in use among the Jews, deferves rather to be named the baptism of strict obedience.

come (i. e. the days of the Meffias) fhall be left only, and there fhall be with him no ftrange God, are Jewish traditions, produced from their writers, by Lightfoot. Vol. 1. pag. 14.

f Luke xxiv. 21. Acts i. 6.

Lardner, Cred. of G. H.

B. 1.
Ch.

5.

"This

"This shall be thy thy righteousness," was the language of the law to the candidate for admiffion; and although the burden, to which he submitted, was grievous, yet the obligation incurred was ftrict. -"Curfed is every one, that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them." The ceremonial part of it at length engroffed the popular attention and reverence, and ritual obedience paffed for true religion; and in direct conformity to this principle, it was imagined that Abraham obtained the promife through the righteoufnefs of works. The notions of repentance, which they entertained, had not led them to admit any infufficiency in the legal atonements, or to feel and confefs their finful and unforgiven state. Among them it was, of course, merely formal, without power, and entirely unproductive of fruits, worthy of repentance.

Under this perverfion of things, when the moral law had entirely declined in public efteem, repentance, in the true sense of it, could have no place, as a principle of action. Before it could operate, the current of the prevailing opinions must be turned, and a due

* Deuteron. iv. 1. vi. 25, xxvii. 26. xxx. 15. 19. Ezekiel. XX. 11. Galat. iii. 10.

preference

preference restored of the moral to the ritual law. This, among other effects, was referved for a new difpenfation, that would eftablish the righteousness of the heart, and not of the letter, and annex the divine fanction and bleffing to a spiritual service.

The baptifm of repentance, was strictly accommodated to a people in this state of moral corruption, and only to a dispensation of this caft; and when the Baptist accordingly propofed it, he not only acted from views, imparted to him by the Holy Spirit, of the depraved and unforgiven state of Israel, however weakly felt, or hardily disclaimed; but also, prophetically intimated, what was the great pervading principle and character of that difpenfation, which he prepared them to receive; and reprefented it, not as a law of works, but as a kingdom of grace; for his baptifm preceeded as a fign of repentance, and `led on to subsequent remiffion of fin.

Jofephus attributes to the Baptist a caution, against a mistake that might be made, respecting the nature of his baptism, as it

* Jofeph. Antiq. Iud. Lib. 18. cap. 7. "Oтw jap sij śluš βάπτισιν ἀποδεκτώ αυτώ (Θεῷ) φανεῖσθαι, μὴ ἐπί τινων ἁμαρτάδων παραιτήσει χρωμένων, ἀλλ' ἐφ ̓ ἁγνείᾳ τῇ σώματα, ἅτε δη καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς δικαιοσιώη προεκκεκαθαρμίας.

feems