51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was fubjeft unto them; but his mother kept all thefe fayings in her

heart.

52 And Jefus increafed in wisdom and ftature, and in

norant either of his Nature or Of fice.

51. However Jefus went down with them to Nazareth, and dwelt with them, and was obedient to them. And Mary kept all these things in Remembrance, and pondered them in her own Mind.

52. And Jefus continued to increafe, as in Stature of Body, fo in Wisdom of Mind; the Divine Power difcofavour with God and vering it felf in him by Degrees.

man.

And he became remarkably endued with fuch excellent Qualifications, as made him moft acceptable to God, and beloved of Men.

CHA P. III.

John the Baptift's Office and Miniftry, ver. 1.

His Inftruc

tions to the Common People, the Collectors of the Tax, and the Soldiers, ver. 10. His Account of Chrift, ver. 16. His Death, ver. 19. Jefus's Baptifm, ver. 21. and Genealogy, ver. 23.

NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cefar, Pontius Pilate being governour of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of Trachonitis, and Li

fanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

2 Annas and Caiphas being the high 4

rias and Elizabeth, have hitherto lived privately in the Wilderness, was commanded of God to enter upon his publick Miniftry, and begin to preach to the People.

3. Accordingly, leaving the Wildernefs, he went and preached in all the Country about Jordan. And the Subject of his Preaching was, To exhort Men to prepare themselves by Baptifm and Repentance, for the receiving of Chrift, and for the Entertainment of his Divine Religion, wherein no outward Rites or Ceremonies, but only a hearty Faith in God, an actual forfaking their past Sins, a real and univerfal Amendment of Life, and a fincere Endeavour to obey both in Heart and Mind the Commandments of God, would avail to procure Forgiveness of Sin, and Eternal Life.

:

4, 5 & 6. Thus John was that Fore-runner of Chrift, of whom it was prophefied in old time by Efaias, That he should be as a Voice crying aloud in the Wilderness, to give Notice of the Coming of the Meffiah, and to warn men to provide and make ready against his appearing And that, as great Princes used at their folemn or triumphal Entries to have the Ways cleared and levelled before them; fo this Fore-runner of Chrift, by preaching the Acceptablenefs and the Neceffity of Repentance, fhould remove all Hindrances, and difpofe Mens Hearts to receive that great and glorious Salvation, which God was graciously about to reveal and offer to all Mankind by his Son.

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Efaias the prophet, faying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ftraight.

5 Every valley fhall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crook

ed fhall be made ftreight, and the rough ways fhall be made fmooth;

6 And all flesh

fhall fee the salvation of God.

7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

7. The Sum therefore, of John Baptift's Doctrine, was to exhort Men to fincere Repentance and Reformation. And accordingly, when among those who came to be baptized, he faw many Difciples of the Pharifees and Sadduces, Men proud and haughty, boafting themselves of their Descent from the Patriarchs, and trufting in their ftrict Obfervation of feveral external Rites and Ceremonies of the Law; he warned them, saying; Do not think, that by being baptized of me, or by any other outward Ceremony whatever, ye can be fecured from the Judgments which God will fend upon this Nation: For affuredly, nothing will be accepted of God, but real Reformation, and hearty Obedi

ence.

8. Wherefore, if ye profefs to repent, give Evidence of the Sincerity of it, by your Humility, and by the inward Holinefs of your Minds, fhowing forth itself in a fuitable Converfatition; For these are the only genuine Fruits, and true Marks of fincere Repentance. And do not prefume, that because ye are the Pofterity of Abraham, and the peculiar People of God, ye can therefore, though impenitent, escape the Vengeance due to your Sins. For verily, unless ye return to the Imitation of the Piety and Holiness of your Ancestors whom ye boaft of, God will utterly caft you off; and adopt Men from among the Gentiles, or even work a Miracle to raife up to himself faithful Servants, rather than fave you in your Impenitency and Pride.

9. Nay; and if ye intend to repent, ye muft refolve to do it fpeedily and without Delay. For God is now about to offer you the laft Difpenfation of his Mercy; And if ye reject thefe gracious Terms of Salvation, there will be no more Remedy, but a final Sentence of Deftruction fhall be paffed upon you; even as barren Trees, after many vain Trials to make them bear, are at last irrevocably condemned to the Fire.

10 & 11. This was the Sum of John's Exhortations to Repentance in general. But more particularly he taught alfo people of all Sorts, their peculiar Duty refpectively in every State of Life. For when fome of the Common People, moved by his denouncing of God's Wrath, and general Exhortations to Repentance, asked him, What They fhould do to escape this Vengeance, and how they should repent worthily and acceptably to God? he faid, Do not rely wholly on the outward Rites and Ceremonies of the Law; but principally, and above all, be fure to maintain fuch a pious Difpofition of Mind, and fuch an univerfal Love and Charity towards all Men, as to be ready upon all Occafions to do Acts of real Piety Having and Charity, to relieve out of your + Atrvo Coats, bundance the Neceffities of those that fignifies want, and to affift in all cafes, thofe plenty. that need your Help.

12 & 13. Again, when fome of the Collectors or Tax-gatherers came to be baptized by him, and asked, What Their peculiar Duty was? He faid, Perform what you are appointed, justly and mercifully, and be fure never to extort from any one, more than what your Office obliges you to demand.

9 And now alfo the ax is laid unto

the root of the trees:

every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and caft into the fire.

you.

14. Again, when fome of the Soldiers coming to be baptized by him, defired him to inftruct Them alfo in

their Duty: He faid, Let not your Employment make you infolent and cruel; neither pillage nor opprefs any one upon vain and unjust Pretences, to maintain any vicious or extravagant Expence; but keep good Order and Difcipline, and be content to live upon your lawful Pay and Subfiftence.

15. All these Things John fpake and acted with fo much Piety and Modefty, with fo much Gravity and Authority; that the People began to be perfuaded in their Hearts that he was himself the Meffiah, and feemed continually to expect that he should make fome further Manifeftation of himself to them.

16. But John plainly and openly declared to them, both the Meannels of his own Perfon, and the Nature of his Office, faying; I indeed, as the Fore-runner of Chrift, to dispose you to repent, and to prepare for the Coming of the Meffiah, do baptize you with Water: But the Meffiah himself is an infinitely greater Person than I, fo that I judge not my felf worthy to do the meaneft Offices of Service for him; And when He appears, he shall baptize you with his Holy Spirit, whofe Appearance fhall be as Fire, (Acts ii. 3.) and whofe influence over the Minds of Men, fhall be as much more powerful than my outward Washing of the Body by Baptism, as Fire is of a more powerful and penetrating Nature than Water.

17. And he shall throughly try the Spirits of Men, as when Chaff is feparated from the Corn by the force of C 2

the