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smooth and deceitful; it counts a sinful thought a little transgression, and sinful discourse to have but a little more guilt in it than a sinful thought, and sinful actions to have but a little more guilt in them than sinful words; a great sin but in a little degree exceeds the less; and so, comparing sin with sin, and not with the law, we at length come, by invisible advances, to look upon the greatest impieties in the world to be but little sins, and so to commit them. If Satan prevails with us to

go with him one step out of our way, we are in danger to stop no where till we come to the height of all profaneness; he will make us take a second, and a third, and so to travel on to destruction, for each of these is but one step as well as the first; and if the devil prevail with us to take one step, why should he not prevail with us to take the last step as well as the first step, seeing it is but one? Your second sin no more exceeds your first, than your first doth your duty; and so of the rest.-HOPKINS.

PSALM XXXVI.

When man grows bold in sin My heart within me cries "He hath no faith of God within, No fear before his eyes." His heart is false and foul His words are smooth and fair, Wisdom is banish'd from his soul, And leaves no goodness there.

But there's a righteous God Though men renounce his fear; His Justice, hid behind the cloud, Shall one great day appear.

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Christ baptized receiveth testimony from heaven. The age and genealogy of Christ from Joseph upwards.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, 'it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) 'the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph.

25 Which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of 'Nathan, "which was the son of David,

Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,

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32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naason,

33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham," which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,

35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of

Eliezer, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of

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36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad," which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,

37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son

31 Which was the son of of Enoch, which was the son Melea, which was the son of of Jared, which was the son of

Maleleel, which was the son of shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. of 5 And the devil, taking him

Cainan,

38 Which was the Enos, which was the

son

son

Seth, which was the son Adam, which was the son God.

of up into

of up into an high
an high mountain,
of shewed unto him all the king-
doms of the world in a moment
of time.

of

9 Mat. iii. 13. John i. 32.-r See Num. iv. 3, 35, 39, 43, 47.- Mat. xiii. 55. John vi. 42.- Zech. xii. 12.-u6

6 And the devil said unto

25 am. v. 14. 1 Chr. ii. 5.- Ruth iv. 18, &c.-1 Chr. il. him, All this power will I give

10, &c.-y Gen. xi. 24, 26.-2 See Gen. xi. 12.-a Geu. v. 6, &c.; & xi. 10, &c.-b Gen, v. 1, 2.

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thee and the glory of them:

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for that is delivered unto me;

and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt" worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down

from hence :

10 For "it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, 'It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God

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a Mat. iv. 1. Mark i. 12.-b ver. 14. ch. ii. 27.—c Ex. xxxiv. 28. I Kings xix. 8.-d Deut. viii. 3.-e John xii.

18 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted,

31 ; & xiv. 30. Rev. xiii. 2, 7.-1 Or, fall down before to preach deliverance to the

me.-f Deut. vi. 13; & x. 20.-g Mat iv. 5.-h Ps. xrí. 11. -i Deut. vi. 16.-k John xiv. 30. Heb. iv. 15.

See § XII.

Matthew IV. 1—11.

› CLXIV.

CHAP. IV. 14-32.

Christ beginneth to preach. The people of Nazareth admire his gracious words.

14 'And Jesus returned ¶ "in the power of the Spirit into "Galilee and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16¶ And he came to 'Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, "he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are buised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, 'Is not this Joseph's son ?

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done Capernaum, do also here in "thy country.

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24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years

and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the

hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

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30. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Mat. iv. 12. John iv. 43.-m ver. 1.-n Acts x. 37.-0 Mat. ii. 23; & xiii. 54. Mark vi. 1.-p Acts xiii. 14; & xvii. 2.- Is. lxi. 1.-r Ps. xlv. 2. Mat xiii. 54. Mark vi. 2. ch. ii. 47.-8 John vi. 42.- Mat. iv. 13; & xi. 23.

Mat. xiii. 54. Mark vi. 1. Mat. xiii. 57. Mark vi. 4. John iv. 44.-y I Kings xvii. 9; & xviii. I. James v. 17

- 2 Kings v. 14.-|| Or. edge.-a John viii. 59; & x. 39

15.

Mat iv. 13. Mark i. 21-c Mat. vi. 28, 29. Titus ii.

READER. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.-As his custom was, he went into the synagogue

on the sabbath day. Although our Saviour took all occasions to instruct and admonish his disciples and followers, whether in the fields or houses, even wheresoever he could upon the mountains, in private find an opportunity to do it; yet upon sabbath-days he always frequented the public worship of God,

he went into the synagogues, places appointed for public prayers and reading and hearing the word; -a thing which I fear many amongst us do not think of, or at least not rightly consider it, for if they did, they would not dare methinks to walk so directly contrary to our blessed Saviour in this particular.

We may observe that our Saviour did not go into a synagogue or

church by the bye, to see what they

were doing there; neither did he happen to go in by chance upon the sabbath-day; but it was his custom and constant practice to do so, even to go each sabbath-day to the public ordinances, there to join with the congregation in performing their service and devotions to Almighty

God. And here I must take leave

to say, that was there no other law, (as there be many) to frequent nor any other obligation upon us, the public worship of God, this practice and example of our blessed Saviour doth sufficiently and effectually oblige us all to a constant attendance upon the public ordinances. For, as we are Christians, and profess ourselves to be his disciples, we are all bound to follow him, he commands us here and elsewhere to do it; and

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