admired thar this new PraQice of John (if it were w m made no more ſtir amongſt the pon Fo (as "ns = rc Baptiſm was in uſe betore that time, as an Appendix to 0 C/ | ciſion, (tho' Circumciſion only be mentioned ) or they Arp w Notion that Christ, Elias, and that Prophet, when "the fon w ſhould Baptize : For, oh. 1.25. they asked Fohn, Why Ba = | ac thou then , if thou be not that ChriS, nor Elias, nor they yg hag yo That which ſeemerh ro me moſt probable, is, Thar befor: th - time there was a Baptiſm in ordinary uſe among them after ON a cumciſing the Child, beſide the Baptizing of Proſelytes. Ang © n the other Sacrament, Chriſt left our the Typical Part, ang Bl, ON wy the Bread uſed in that Adminiſtration, and made uſ> fed = tor the Inſtirurion of- the Sacrament of the Supper - 5, mat - che Ordinance of Circumciſion, he in the Inſtitution of ws pgs Goſpel-Ordinance, left our Circumciſion (which was Typical alf, n ” and retained only the Waſhing of the Perſon with Water . ms. inſtitured the other Sacrament of the New Teſtament, 'Bur 4 FJoll. 15+ tre, there was ſo much new 1n the Baptisf's Pradice, (for he dig - OC baprize Proſelytes only, bur Fews ; nor did he uſe it as an wy b pendix ro Circumciſion preceding,bur baptized adult Fews, ) A if the State of the Jewiſh Church had nor been decſinins 2 q wit their Power of Diſcipline very lictle, (if any) chey would on Nati: than have ſent co John, to know by whoſe Authority he Bapti - be I Bur they were under the Roman Power,and their Eceleſraſtical WIC cers were more pragmatical than miſchievous : God in the 1w;c pnto ?, dom of his Providence having ſo ordered ir, thar the Chan . 341110; Worſhip ſhould be ar ſuch a time brought in, when ir ſhouts 1 © be leaſt porently oppoſed. : m_ 7 But when he ſaw many of the Phariſees arg the 7 Sadduces come to his Baptiſm, he ſaid unto they, buble, * O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned YOu th #1, chap. 7 Hee from * the wrath to come? th pla : a; ot 7oh we ſhall often meet with the mention of theſe Phariſees ang ! 5 Golp-1 Sadduces : We will therefore enquire here a litcle more larzey from 4 concerning them. There were Three more eminent Reign : | Sefts amongſt the Fews. The Eſſenes, of whom we read nothin Wis. 1! in Holy Wric; their main DoGtrine was Fate, they aſcribed 1j __ = things ro it. The two others are here mentioned, and often, in 8.4 than other parrs of the New Teſtament, we read of the Phariſees and | baptiz Sadduces : The latter were moſt acceprable to the great Men amongſt the Fews ; rhe former were more popular, and acceptz [am ble ro the People. The Sadduces were direly oppoſite to the 1 am by Eſſenes ; they aſcribed nothing ro Fare, but maintained the Liher tim, co and Power of Man's Will in the moſt extravagant height ; the of their denied the Immortality of the Soul, the Reſurreion, Angels, &, al me, who which the Phariſees owned : This we may learn trom 4; 23, 8 Not wor where Paul wrought his own Eſcape, by ſerring theſe to bz. fall Gap, ions on quarrelling abour theſe Points. In ſhort, theſe were ng #Hily Ghol better than Atheiſts; ( for what muſt they be leſs that der bp fcir Sir Spirits, and the Reſurre&ion ?_) The Phariſees, as to their Dodrine Got w were much more ſober; they owned Spirits, and the Reſurrein; an Coop and tho' they held much of the Freedom of , and a Poner in Senſe of Man's Will, yer they alfo aſcribed much to che Providerce and 4 Grace of God. They were the Interpreters of the Law, and, 5 ona gens Mr. Calvin thinks, had their Name from thence, nor trom their _= wml dividing and ſeparating themſelves trom cchers, (as ſome think) ofa they ſpent much of their time in Faſting and Prayer : Br of rhole « I. They held a Righteouſneſs by the Works of the Law ; to be _— conſy Righteouſneſs; for which we are accepted of God. 2, Thiey made a Ia Fire: very jejune Interpretation of the Law, as may appear trom ur $i 12W our's correing it, chap. 5. 3. They held m.1ny unwritten Ti 1diting purge hi of equal Force with the Law of God. 4g. They were very Hypiite but a mn their Prattice, nezle&ing the weighry Things of the Law, mz WL king long Prayers for a pretence tor their Wickednefs, aud do- t Jndea i ing all they did , bur to be ſeen of Men. Some of rhe $17 N R bar th; ces and Phariſ:es came to John's Baptiſm ;, and no wender ; i, wy he is Mar. 6. 20. Herod obſerved h*m, heard him, did many things, ard wo on - heard him gladly ; but, Luk. 7. 30. it is faid the Phaviſee, "er Far nor Baptized of him : It is like they came our of Curioſity, { #: been } as ſaid unto them, O generation of Vipers.) The very Languaze aki in : rag Chriſt uſed ro them, chap. 12.34. & 23. 33. The Viper to whith _ F ..- he compareth them, is the worſt and work danzerous of Serperts Ne hang. - We need give no Account of the BaptiF's treating them 1o rou;}- 2 ſtri& %. ly, becauſe our Saviour juſtifieth the term by applying ir ro them, true Bel; U Corrupt Teachers are the worſt of Men, and of all Orders of Sit- quench = ners, feweſt of them Repent and have their Hearts changed, Ts Who hath warned you to flee from the\Wrath to come 2) What comes =_ in your mind, who think there is no ReſurreFjon, no Hell? Or who . 12 * think you are ſo Righteous, that you need fear none, to do af} unto Joh thing that might reſtifie you are atraid of Wrath co come. Chriſt, 1 . _ c0 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet {| for 1c; rag 20 pentance. 0 And again You come here and thruſt your ſelves into a Crowd of Peti- © = ny of Ap rents: Bur chis is not enuugh ; true Repenrance is nor a barren ” R, , Vherd thing , neicher are your Leaves of exrernal Protefſion a ſufficient _ of indication of ic; you muſt bring forth the Fruics of Holineh, $10 made t Fruits that may anſwer the Nature of truc Repencance. Thi = no Sin proper Produtts of Habits, are called their Fruirs ; Thus we read n_ : Wal
ot the Fruit of Sin, and the Fruit of Rightewſneſs. Fruits meet fi Repentance, are Works that are the proper Product of Repentance, or juſtly anſwering an external Profeſſion of Repentance. 45
Iſlitutimn ; Mony, Whic
Faith, 10 Repentance without Works, is dead. _ - Y " e Minſe
9 And think not to ſay within your ſelves, * We": tle Believin
In Teſtimon
have Abr aham toour Father : For I ſay unto you,thit © God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up children unto Abraham.