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4. BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE, &c.:-1 Pe. iii. 21, '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 toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'-Mi. vi. 8, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

the goodness of God should lead to repentance:-Rom. ii. 4, Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?'-Tit. ii. 11-4. 11,' For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."-1 Jno. iv. 19, We love him, because he first loved us.'

Mt. iii. 2. REPENT YE:-Is. lv. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.'-Eze. xxxiii. 11, 'Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GoD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

Jesus preached:-Mk. i. 15. § 16, p. 108. preached by the twelve:-Mk. vi. 12. § 39.

joy in heaven over such as repent:-Lu. xv. 7, 10, § 68. repentance to be preached among all nations:-Lu. xxiv. 47, § 98.-Ac. ii. 38, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'-iii. 19, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.'-xvii. 30, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.'-xxvi. 20, 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."

NOTES.

Mt. iii. 1. IN THE WILDERNESS. compare Ps. lxv. 13, The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.'-Je. ix. 10, For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.'-Joel i. 20, The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.' Lu. iii. 3. THE BAPTISM OF REFENTANCE. Jacob and his family, &c.:-Ge. xxxv. 2, Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments.'

the Hebrews washed themselves, &c.:-Ex. xix. 14, And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.'

Aaron and his sons washed, &c. :-Ex. xxix. 4, And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.'

PSALM XCVIII. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. 2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the 3 heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the 4 earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud 5 noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of 6 a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make 7 a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they 8 that dwell therem. Let the floods clap their hands: 9 let the hills be joyful together before the LORD;

for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

PSALM LXXXIX. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known 2 thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness 3 shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto 4 David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. 5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. 6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be 7 likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in re8 verence of all them that are about him. O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to 9 thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou 10 stillest them. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies 11 with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness 12 thereof, thou hast founded them. The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon 13 shall rejoice in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arm: 14 strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: 15 mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall 16 walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy 17 righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our 18 horn shall be exalted. For the LORD is our defence; 19 and the Holy One of Israel is our king. Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one 20 chosen out of the people. I have found David my 21 servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: with whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also 22 shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and 24 plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness and

my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall 25 his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the 26 sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock. 27 of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, 28 higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will Í 29 stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 31 judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not 32 my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will 1 not utterly take 31 from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone 35 out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness 36 that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure It 37 for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 38 faithful witness in heaven. shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a Selah. But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with 39 thine anointed. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by cast40 ing it to the ground. Thou hast broken down all his

hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. 41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach 42 to his neighbours. Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made ail his enemies to 43 rejoice. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, 44 and hast not made him to stand in the battle. Thou

hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down 45 to the ground. The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. 46 How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? 47 shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is wherefore hast thou made all men in 48 vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the 49 grave? Selah. Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy 50 truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all 51 the mighty people; wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached 52 the footsteps of thine anointed. Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

3. BY THE PROPHET:-Is. xl. 3-5. 3, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5, and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.'

see ، Scripture Illustrations, page opposite. compare with Is. i. 25-.7. 25,And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: 26, and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27, Zion shall be redeemed with judg ment, and her converts with righteousness."

see also Is. lvii. 14, And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.'

Lu. iii. 5. EVERY VALLEY, &c.

literally, as:-Is. xlix. 11, And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.' figuratively, as:-Is. ii. 11, The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.'--xlii. 16, And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.'-He. xii. 13, And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.'

6. ALL FLESH SHALL SEE, &c.:-Is. xl. 5-see ver. 3. all the ends of the earth:-Is. lii. 10, The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.'-Joel ii. 28, And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.'-Mal. i. 11, For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.'

Mt. iii. 4. RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR, &c.

80 Elijah:-2 Ki. i. 8, And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.'

referred to by our Lord:-Mt. xi. 8, § 29.

see as to the two witnesses:-Rev. xi. 3, And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth,'

LOCUSTS.

allowed by the law:-Le. xi. 22, Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.'

wild honey:-1 Sa. xiv. 24-7. 24, And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. 25, And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. 26, And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. 27, But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.'

NOTES.

IIIS MEAT WAS LOCUSTS. one of the plagues of Egypt:-Ex. x. 12, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.'

see Joel i. 4, That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.'-Is.

xxxii. 4, 5. 4, And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. 5, The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.’

WILD HONEY.

a land flowing with milk and honey:-Ex. iii. 8, 17. 8, And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.' 17, And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amor ites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.'-xiii. 5, And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this

month.'

found by Samson :-Ju. xiv. 8, 9. 8, And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 9, And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.'

wood honey:-see above, WILD HONEY.'

PROVERBS VIII. Doth not wisdom cry? and un2 derstanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the 3 paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the 4 city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, 5 I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom : and, ye fools, be ye of an 6 understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be 7 right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and 8 wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is no9 thing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them. 10 that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things 12 that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge 13 of witty inventions. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the 14 froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16, By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the 17 earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek Riches and honour are with 18 me early shall find me. 19 me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my re20 venue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righte 21 ousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that 22 and I will fill their treasures. The LORD possessed I may cause those that love me to inherit substance;

27 world.

me in the beginning of his way, before his works of 23 old. I was set up from everlasting, from the begin24 ning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no 25 fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought 26 forth : while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the When he prepared the heavens, I was there: 28 when he established the clouds above: when he when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 29 strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the 30 foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, 31 rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the 32 sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye

children for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 31 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily 35 at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour 36 of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT LET US BE THERE WITH CONTENT.

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and wild honey. [For i. 7, see p. 54.]

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

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6. all flesh shall see, Is. xl. 5- all the ends of the
earth,' lii. 10-1 will pour out my Spirit upon all
flesh,' Joel ii. 28-see also Mal. i. 11.
Mt. iii. 4. raiment of camel's hair, &c.-so Elijah,
2 Ki. i. 8-referred to by our Lord, Mt. xi. 8, § 29-
see as to the two witnesses, Rev. xi. 3.

locusts, &c.--allowed by the law, Le. xi. 22.
wild honey, i Sa. xiv. 25, .7.

NOTES.

It is the object of hope presented to us; not merely now wear. Its uses are to keep the lower garments in the prophets and the gospels, but also in the Acts, fast to the loins, to strengthen the body, and to comepistles, and the Apocalypse. The promised king-mand respect. Chiefs have numerous folds of muslin dom of God, in which the saints shall reign with round their loins, and they march along with great Christ, is one of the grand motives to godliness. pomp, thus enlarged in their size.-See Sect. 63, Let Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pre- your loins be girded about.'-Lu. xii. 35. cious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,' 2 Pe. i. 4. We are saved,' or delivered from the influence of the present evil world, by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope,' Rom. viii. 24. It is still matter of promise, and is a motive to repentance, as in the days of John, and the ministry of our Lord and his apostles: all of whom preached the same good news or glad tidings, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

3. Spoken of by the prophet. The ministry of John fulfilled the prophecy, Is. xl. 3-5. John was a voice,' which conveys the mind of the speaker, and theu vanishes: he declared the mind of God concerning his Son, and then was seen no more; for his ministry was of short continuance. Of one crying. Or, of a crier;' one proclaiming. -See Note,' p. 50, Came preaching.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord. The office of John the Baptist was to prepare the way for the Redeemer by removing difficulties, & counteracting prejudices. Lu. iii. 6. All flesh, &c. Persons of all nations should know and enjoy that great and glorious salvation which God was then bringing into the world by Jesus Christ.

Mt. iii. 4. His raiment of camel's hair. A sort of course or rough covering, which it appears was common to the prophets, 2 Ki. i. 8; and was made of the long and shaggy hair of camels. In the East there

is a coarse kind of stuff manufactured, which was anciently worn by monks and anchorets. Such garments are still worn in the East by the poor, and such as affect austerity of life. Camel's hair is also made into fine and luxurious clothing for the rich.

His meat was locusts. His food. These were the food of the common people among the Greeks; the vilest of the people used to eat them; and the fact that John made his food of them is significant of his lowed to eat them, Le. xi. 22. They are at this day great poverty and humble life. The Jews were alsalt and fried, they are not unlike our fresh water eaten in many parts of Asia. When sprinkled with craw fish in taste. The Arabs salt them, and eat them as a delicacy. The Hottentots look for their arrival among them with anticipations of a great feast. Locusts are flying insects, and are of various kinds. The green locusts are about two inches in length, and about the thickness of a man's finger. The common brown locust is about three inches long. The general form and appearance of the locust is not unlike the grasshopper. They were one of the plagues of Egypt, Ex. x. 12. In eastern countries they are very numerous. They appear in such quantities as to darken the sky, and devour in a short time every green thing. The whole earth is sometimes covered with them for many leagues, Joel i. 4; Is. xxxiii. 4, 5. They are sometimes dried and salted, or ground into a kind of cake, &c.-See page opposite. found in the rocks of the wilderness. Palestine was Wild honey. This was probably the honey that is often called 'a land flowing with milk and honey,' Ex. iii. 8, 17; xiii. 5. Bees were kept with great care; and great numbers of them abounded in the fissures

of trees and the clefts of rocks.-See also Ju. xiv. 8. There is also a species of honey called wild honey, or wood-honey, (1 Sa. xiv. 26,) or honey-dew, produced by certain little insects, and deposited on the leaves of trees, which frequently flows from them in great quantities to the ground.-See I Sa. xiv. 24-.7. This is said to be produced still in Arabia. In Arabia, the honey of bees is drunk with water, and forms a common beverage among the Arabs. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

Leathern girdles. The austerity consisted in the materials: for otherwise these girdles formed a regular part of the dress, and were of linen, silk, or even of silver, and sometimes gold. Such the Orientals

3 ver. Soon also may every obstruction be removed | ately to the service of God for the good of man from the minds of men, and all be made willing to spread abroad the message of salvation.

A ver. Those who give themselves more immedi

should not seek great things for themselves; but, like John, be examples of the self-denial and benevolence they require in others.

GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN.-1 Tim. vi. 6.

[51

FOLLOW AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, GODLINESS, FAITH, LOVE, PATIENCE, MEEKNESS.-1 Tim. vi. 11.

HE THAT COVERETH HIS SINS SHALL NOT PROSPER: BUT

(G. 3.) The multitudes resort to the baptism of John: the Pharisees and Sadducees are reproved by him: the common people, the publicans, the soldiers, are each instructed by him in their proper duty.-At Bethabara, East of Jericho.

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Then said-he to-the multitude
that-came forth to-be-baptized of him,
O-generation of-vipers,

who hath-warned you to-flee
from the wrath to-come?
Bring-forth therefore fruits
+worthy-of repentance,

MARGINAL READINGS:- Answerable to amendment of life. + Meet for.
SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Mk. i. 5. conf. their sins-he that confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy, Pr. xxviii. 13-so Job, xxxiii. 27, 8; Ps. xxxii. 5; 1'Jno. i. 8, 9-spoken of Israel, Le. xxvi. 40-2; Is. Ixiv. 5-9; Ho. v. 15-call thereto, Joel ii. 12-8-exemplified, Da. ix. 9-23-and in the returning prodigal, Lu. xv. 18-23, § 68.

Mt. iii. 7. Pharisees-self-righteous, Lu. xviii. 10-.2, § 73-formalists. vi. 6-11, § 25; xi. 39-44, § 62-hypocrites, xii. 1, § 63-covetous, xvi. 14, § 69-did their works to be seen of men, Mt. xxiii. 1-7, § 85.

Sadducees-said there is no resurrection, Mt. xxii. 23, §85-neither angel nor spirit, Ac. xxiii. 8--they and the Pharisees were unbelievers in the signs given

7

8

of God, Mt. xvi. 1-4, § 47-the disciples of Jesus to beware of their doctrine, ver. 5-12, § 48.

Lu. iii. 7. generation of vipers, Mt. xii. 34, § 31; xxiii. 32, § 85-seed of the serpent predicted, Ge. iii. 15-children of the wicked one, Mt. xiii. 38, § 33-of the devil, 1 Jno. iii. 8, 10.

8. fruits worthy of repentance-represented by washing, as in baptism, wash you, make you clean,' &c., Is. i. 16--clearing of yourselves, 2 Co. vii. 10, .1 -amend your ways, Je. vii. 3-works meet for repentance, Ac. xxvi. 20-exemplified in the first son, Mt. xxi. 28, .9, § 84.

NOTES.

Mk. i. 5. There went out to him. The novelty of a prophet's appearance in Israel, the family of John, the circumstances of his birth, his prophetical habit and mode of life, the extraordinary character he had no doubt maintained for strict and undissembled piety, together with the general expectation which prevailed, that the Messiah would immediately appear, to liberate them from the Roman yoke, which then bore hard upon them, all concurred to draw great multitudes after him.

All the land of Judea. It does not mean that lite

rally every individual went, but that vast multitudes from all the cities, towns, and villages of Judea, and from Jerusalem itself, went out.

consulting only the gratification of their lusts. They devoted themselves, with insatiable greediness, to the acquisition of honours & riches.-See ADDENDA, p. 56. monly represented as the most wicked and profligate Sadducees.-See ADDENDA, p. 56. They are comPharisees, and did not, like them, boast of their own of all the Jews. They rejected the traditions of the righteousness. They acknowledged the world to have been created by God, and that it was upheld by him. They denied that there was any resurrection, or angel, or spirit; and, it is said, rejected all the Scriptures but the five books of Moses. Caiaphas, the high priest, who condemned our Saviour, was a Sadducee. They were generally the richest men among the Jews.

[Were all baptized, &c. Baptismal ablutions or lustrations had been, even among the heathens, thought necessary for admission to religious ceremonies, and Lu. iii. 7. Generation of vipers. Ye brood of for the expiation of offences. That they were in use, vipers. By this was meant to be designated their too, among the Jews, we find alike from the Old deadly malignity and wickedness. Vipers are a speTestament, the rabbinical writers, and Josephus.cies of serpents. They are from two to five feet in See J. B. ii. 8, 7. But the baptism here meant is one length, and about an inch thick, with a flat head. solemn rite, founded partly on the ceremony which They are of an ash or yellowish colour, speckled with (as the Jewish theologians inform us) took place im-long brown spots. Whereas other serpents have two mediately previous to the promulgation of the law, rows of teeth, vipers have but one, consisting of sixat Mount Sinai, and partly on the Jewish baptism of teen small ones in each jaw; and at least the male proselytes; though essentially differing from it: the vipers have two large teeth, which being raised when one involving an obligation to perform the whole they are angry, their bite distils poison into the law; the other, an obligation to reformation, and wound. There is no serpent's bite more poisonous than theirs. faith in the Messiah about to appear-the one founded The person bitten swells up almost imon a system of justification by works, the other on mediately, and falls down dead.-See Ac. xxviii. 3–6. faith in Christ. The custom, however, is believed Who hath warned. Tis redeiter vμiv, &c. Who not to have been introduced until after the return hath shewn or taught?' from the Babylonish captivity; and that to provide a less revolting mode of initiation into the Jewish church than circumcision.-See Baptism of Repentance,' NOTE, p. 50.]

Confessing their sins. A general confession of sins, and renunciation of all hope of justification by works. Many of the Pharisees, &c. They were called Perushim, which signifies persons who are separated from others. They pretended to more sanctity and strictness in religious observances, Ac. xxvi. 5. They held the traditions of the elders in equal, if not greater, veneration than the word of God. Their religion was a system of consummate hypocrisy; and at the bottom, they were the slaves of every vicious appetite; proud, arrogant, and avaricious; 52]

HE THAT COMMITTETH SIN IS

Wrath to come. απο της μελλούσης οργής, from the impending vengeance. The passage might possibly glance at the destruction of Jerusalem; but, doubtless, John looked forward to the final revelation of the wrath of Jehovah. John expresses his astonishment that sinners so hardened and so hypocritical as they were, should have been induced to flee from coming wrath. The wrath to come means the divine indignation, or the punishment that will come on the guilty.-See 1 Th. i. 10; v. 9.

8. Bring forth therefore fruits, &c. That is, the proper fruits of reformation; the proper evidence that you are sincere: humility, meekness, patience, faith, love, equity, mercy, and every good work, worthy, consistent with, expressive of repentance. OF THE DEVIL.-1 John iii. 8.

WHOSO CONFESSETH AND FORSAKETH THEM SHALL HAVE MERCY.-Prov. xxviii. 13.

Mk. i. 5. CONFESSING THEIR SINS:-Pr. xxviii. 13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.'

so Jobch. xxxiii. 27, .8. 27, He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; 28, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.-Ps. xxxii. 5, I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.'-1 Jno. i. 8, 9. 8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'

spoken of Israel:-Le. xxvi. 40.2. 40, If they shall contess 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; 41, and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42, then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.'-Is. Ixiv. 5-9. 5, Thon meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. 6, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7, And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 8, But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 9, Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.'Ho. v. 15, I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.'

call thereto :-Joel ii. 12-8-see ch. ii. p. (57). exemplified:-Da. ix. 9-23.

DANIEL IX. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made 2 king over the realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

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And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, 4 and ashes: and I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his com5 mandments; we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy 6 judgments: neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the 7 people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they 8 have trespassed against thee. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to 9 our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, 10 though we have rebelled against him; neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the 11 prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of 12 God, because we have sinned against him. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusa13 lem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our ini14 quities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

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O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a re17 proach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanc18 tuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great 19 mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God 21 for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the even22 ing oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give 23 thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint 25 the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in 26 troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah: be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations 27 are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. and in the returning prodigal :-Lu. xv. 18-23, § 68. Mt. iii. 7. PHARISEES.-See Scrip. Illus.' page opposite. SADDUCEES.

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said there is no resurrection:-Mt. xxii. 23, § 85.

neither angel, &c. :-Ac. xxiii. 8, For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.'-See Scripture Illustrations,' page opposite.

Lu. iii. 7. GENERATION OF VIPERS.-See page opposite. seed of the serpent predicted:-Ge. iii. 15, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.'

8. FRUITS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE.

represented by washing, as in baptism :-Is. i. 16, Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.

clearing of yourselves:-2 Co. vii. 10, .1. 10, 'For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11, For behold 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."

amend your ways:-Je. vii. 3, 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.'

works meet for repentance:-Ac. xxvi. 20, '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.'

exemplified in the younger son :-Mt. xxi. 28, .9, § 84. 28, 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. 29, He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.'

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