tism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead, Col. ii. 12. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according ording to to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Tit. iii. 5, 6. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment, Heb. vi. 2. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience ⚫ towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. iii. 21. b And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness, Lev. xvi. 21. If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me, xxvi. 40. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed, Num. v.7. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD GOD Of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me, Josh. vii. 19. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light, Job xxxiii. 27, 28. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Loan; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, Ps. xxxii. 5. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy, Prov. xxviii. 13. And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O A. D. 26. LORD, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, Dan. ix. 4. And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins, Mark i. 5. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinnedagainst heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, Luke xv. 18-21. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds, Acts xix. 18. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed, Jam. v. 16. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John i. 9. VER. 7. Ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδείξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς; But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, bo generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? a For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matt. v. 20. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, xvi. 6. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, 11, 12. went the Pharisees, and took counsel Then A. D. 26. MATT. 111. 7, 8. A. D. 26. 32. For I know this, that after my and take him away, his blood shall be departing shall grievous wolves enter upon his own head. He heard the in among you, not sparing the flock, sound of the trumpet, and took not Acts xx. 29. Beware of dogs, beware warning; his blood shall be upon him. of evil workers, beware of the con- But he that taketh warning shall decision, Phil. iii. 2. These are spots in liver his soul. But if the watchman your feasts of charity, when they feast see the sword come, and blow not with you, feeding themselves without the trumpet, and the people be not fear: clouds they are without water, warned; if the sword come, and take carried about of winds: trees whose ! any person from among them, he is fruit withereth, without fruit, twice taken away in his iniquity; but his dead, plucked up by the roots; raging blood will I require at the watchman's waves of the sea, foaming out their hand. So thou, O son of man, I have own shame; wandering stars, to whom set thee a watchman unto the house is reserved the blackness of darkness of Israel, therefore thou shalt hear the for ever, Jude 12, 13. Blessed are word at my mouth, and warn them they that do his commandments, that from me, xxxiii. 3-7. Therefore they may have right to the tree of life, watch, and remember that by the and may enter in through the gates into space of three years I ceased not to the city. For without are dogs, and warn every one night and day with sorcerers, and whoremongers, and tears, Acts xx. 31. By faith Noah, murderers, and idolaters, and whoso- being warned of God of things not ever loveth and maketh a lie, Rev. seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared xxii. 14, 15. an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb. xi. 7. To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it, Jer. vi. 10. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul, Ezek. iii.18-21. If when he seeth the sword come upon the Ird, he blow the trumpet, and warre people; then whosoever hearethth sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, ❘ d Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, Rom. v. 9. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come, 1 Thess. i. 10. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, Heb. vi. 18. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev. vi. 16, 17. VER. 8. Ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας Bring a forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: * Or, answerable to amendment of life. a But what think ye? A certain man had two sons: and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not, Matt. xxi. 28-30. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him, 32. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow, Isa. i. 16, 17, Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, Lukeiii. 8. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages, 10 -14. But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance, Acts xxvi. 20. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Forbehold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter, 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11. Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The A. D. 26. temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever, Jer. vii. 3-7. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you, xxvi. 13. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin, xxxvi. 3. VER. 9. Καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν ̓Αβραάμ· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι δύναται ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ ̓Αβραάμ. And a think not to say within yourselves, b We have Abraham to our father: for 1 say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. a Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, Luke iii. 8. b They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free, John viii. 33. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham, 39, 40. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 53. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the chil dren of the promise are counted for the seed, Rom. ix. 7,8. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. ❘ Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants: the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, bre thren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free, Gal. iv. 22-31. b And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matt. viii. 11, 12. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out, Luke xix. 40. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name, Acts xv. 14. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were, Rom. iv. 17. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which VOL. 1. A. D. 26. are not, to bring to nought things that are, 1 Cor. i. 27, 28. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise, Gal. iii. 2729. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, Eph. ii. 12, 13. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, dis hewn down, and cast into the fire. a Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of Hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness, Mal. iii. 1-3. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch, iv. 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at D |