fon why it was faid to be at Hand, was because the Time was fulfilled, for the publifhing the Gospel to all the World; and that the Exhortation in St. Matthew, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand; is the fame with that recorded in St. Mark, Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. From whence 'tis evident, that Repentance was inculcated, as neceffary to prepare us for receiving the Gospel of Chrift Jefus,

The fame appears likewife from the preaching of John the Baptift, who taught the fame Doctrine, and in the fame Words with our Bleffed Saviour: he was that Voice crying in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, make his Paths ftraight: As it was his proper Office to prepare the World for the Reception of the great Prophet, who was to come af ter him, we may certainly conclude from his Preaching, what was the neceffary Preparation required; and as his Doctrine was confined to the fingle Point of Repentance, this was undoubtedly the neceffary Qualification for all who were to receive the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

As our Saviour, and his Forerunner the Baptift, taught Repentance as the first neceffary Step to the Gofpel; fo alfo did the Apostles. When the Twelve were fent out by our Bleffed Lord in the vi. of St. Mark, the Evangelift tells us in the 12 Verfe, that they went out and preached, that Men should repent:

St.

St. Peter, in his firft Sermon recorded in the ii, of the Acts, exhorts his Countrymen to repent, and be baptized, for the Remiffion of Sins, Verfe 38: And in the xxth of the Acts, St. Paul tells us how he had spent his Time, teftifying both to the Fers, and alfo to the Greeks, Repentance towards God,and Faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift, Verse 21st which were the very Topicks infifted on by our Lord, when he called upon Men to repent, and to believe the Gospel : The fame Account he gives of his Preaching to King Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 20. Namely, that he had fhewed both to Jew and Gentile, that they fhould Repent, and turn to God, and do Works meet for Repentance. In the xith of the Acts 'tis faid, that the Apoftles and Brethren in Judea, heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God, St. Peter was called upon to render an Account of his Conduct, in communicating the Privileges of the Gospel to the Gentiles; when he had vindicated himfelf to their Satisfaction, they thus express themfelves, then bath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life: Now it is evident, that what God granted to the Gentiles, was the fame that the Gentiles received; and therefore Repentance unto Life was the Word of God, publifhed to the World by our Lord and his Apoftles and for this Reason, the Writer to the Hebrews reckons Repentance from dead Works, and Faith towards God, to be the first Principles, or main Foundation

:

of

of the Doctrine of Chrift. Heb. vi. 1.

Before I proceed to lay before you the Confequences, which arife from this State of the Cafe, I beg leave to make an Obferva tion or two, in order to clear the Way for what is to follow: You may obferve then, that Repentance was the very first Thing infifted on, wherever the Gofpel was publish ed, before any new Law or Doctrine was promulged, or fo much as mentioned. The Proof of this I need not attempt, fince the Paffages already produced do plainly contain it; and indeed the Nature of the thing fpeaks it; for the Repentance taught, could not refpect any new Law to be delivered to the World, againft which no Offence having been committed, no Repentance could be required.

2dly, That the Gospel was ushered in by the Doctrine of Repentance, not only when it was delivered to the Jew, but also when it was proclaimed to the Gentile World: The Jews lived under a Divine Law, delivered by Mofes, and were guilty of many Offences committed against that Law, to which they owed Obedience; But the Gentiles were not under that Law, nor had they been ever called to the Obedience of it; and therefore the Repentance which was taught, as the Introduction of the Gofpel, did not regard any particular Inftitution, but that general Law of Nature, to which every Man owed Obedience, in Virtue of the Reafon and UnA 4 der

derstanding, with which God had endowedhim.

3dly, That true Repentance requires a Change of Mind, and leads to a Reformation of Manners, and a due Obedience for the future to that Law of Righteoufnefs, against which the Offence was committed: for where the Obligation of Obedience to any Law ceafes, there can be no Call to Repentance for Difobedience: This Doctrine is so plain in Scripture, and fo uniformly taught by all the Minifters of our Church, that I would willingly fuppofe no one ignorant of it. The Baptift fufficiently explain'd himfelf, exhorting fuch as came to his Baptifm, to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance: to which general Inftruction his particular Admonitions always correfpond. To the hard-hearted and uncharitable Jews he faid, 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, whofe Crime was Extortion, he faid, Exact no more than that which is appointed you: To the Soldiers, who were noted of Rapine, falfe Information, and the like Vices, he faid, Do Violence to no Man, neit'er accufe any falfely, and be content with your Wages. In like manner, our Bleffed Saviour, when he difmifs'd the Woman taken in Adultery, he let her depart with this Advice, Go, and fin no more: fo did he inftruct alto, the Man whom he had fet free from the In

firmity,

firmity, which was the Punishment of his Iniquity; Behold thou art made whole, fin no more, left a worse Thing come unto thee: teaching neither the one nor the other any new Doctrine with refpect to their particular Cafes, but referring both back to that Law which they had tranfgreffed, as the proper Measure of their future Obedience.

I fhall now proceed to lay before you fuch' Confequences as feem to me to be the natural Refult of this Method made ufe of by our Bleffed Lord and his Apoftles, in publishing the Gospel to Mankind:

And the first is this: That the Religion of the Gospel is the true original Religion of Reason and Nature.

This appears, by confidering the Nature of that Repentance, which our Lord, and those who came after him in the Ministry of the Gospel, preached to the World: Repentance fuppofes a Tranfgreffion, and Tranfgreffion fuppofes a Law; for as the Apostle argues, where there is no Law, there is no Tranfgreffion and fince Repentance con fifts in a Change of Mind, in rectifying what was before amifs, and in fulfilling that Obedience which was before wanting; 'Tis evident, that to repent of the Violation of any Law, is to return to the Obedience of it and he that exhorts and calls you to Repentance, calls you back to the Obedience of that Law, against which you had offend

ed.