bringeth forth evil things, xii. 33-35. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him, John iii. 2. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another, xiii. 35. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; A. D. 31. themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees, whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit, Jude 10-19. And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those who were clean escaped from them who live in error, 2 Pet.ii. 1018. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him, 1 John ii. 29. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil, iii. 7, 8. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil, 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt | πονηροὺς ποιεῖ. VOL. L. b For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh, Luke vi. 43-45. Can the figtree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh, Jam. iii. 12. VER. 17. Οὕτω πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ· τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς K Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. a And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, Ps. i. 3. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing, xcii. 13, 14. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down, Isa. v. 3-5. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit, of heaviness: that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified, lxi. 3. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, Jer. xvii. 8. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard; Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down, Luke xiii. 69. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have cru A. D. 31. cified the flesh with the affections and lusts, Gal. v. 22-24. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Eph. v. 9. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God, Phil. i. 11. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, Col. i. 10. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace, James iii. 17, 18. b Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things, Matt. xii. 33-35. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, Jude 12. A good tree a cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. a For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would, Gal. v. 17. Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh, James iii. 12. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother, 1 John iii. 9, 10. VER. 19. Πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν, ἐκκόπτεται, καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. a And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire, Matt. iii. 10. & Luke iii. 9. And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away! Matt. xxi. 19, 20. And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry, Isa. v. 5-7. When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour, xxvii. 11. Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to bang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? Behold, when it was whole it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, A. D. 31. when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD; As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them, Ezek. xv. 2-7. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned, John xv. 2. 6. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned, Heb. vi. 8. VER. 20. ̓́Αραγε ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτοὺς. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. a Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Matt. vii. 16. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought, Acts v. 38. VER. 21. Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι, Κύριε, Κύριε, εἶσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν πῶν οὐρανῶν· ἀλλ ̓ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. a Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not, Matt. xxv. 11, 12. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him, Hos. viii. 2, 3. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke vi. 46. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are, xiii. 25. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth, Acts xix. 13. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Tit. i. 16. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also, James ii. 20-26. b See parallels on last clause, ver. 20. ch. v. c For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother, Matt. xii. 50. 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. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you, xxi. 29-31. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother, Mark iii. 35. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it, Luke xi. 28. And this is the will of him that sent me, That every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day, A. D. 31. John vi. 40. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself, vii. 17. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, Rom. xii. 2. Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, Ephes. vi. 6. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, Col. iv. 12. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, 1 Thess. iv. 3. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, v. 18. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen, Heb. xiii. 21. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, 1 Pet. ii. 15. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God, iv. 2. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, 1 John iii. 21-24. Blessed ure they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city, Rev. xxii. 14. d Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven, Matt. x. 32,33. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven, xvi. 17. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven, xviii. 10. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven, 19. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses, 35. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done, xxvi. 39. 42. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work, John v. 17. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one, x. 29, 30. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him, xiv. 7. He that hateth me hateth my Father also, xv. 23. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father, Rev. ii. 27. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels, iii. 5. • See parallels on last clause, ver. 16. ch. v. VER. 22. Πολλοὶ ἐροῦσί μοι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· Κύριε, Κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προεφητεύσαμεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν; Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, bhave we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast A. D. 31. out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? a But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only, Matt. xxiv. 36. 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, Isa. ii. 11. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, 17. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not, Mal. iii. 17, 18. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city, Luke x. 12. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief, 1 Thess. v. 4. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day, 2 Thess. i. 10. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, 2 Tim. i. 12. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well, 18. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing, iv. 8. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils : freely ye have received, freely give, |