the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, Heb. ii. 1-3. He that despised Moses' law died with out mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, x. 28-31. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven, xii. 25. b And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire, Luke iii. 9. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss, xxiii. 41. 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. 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, Is. 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. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth | A. D. 26. forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire, Matt. vii. 16-19. 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. 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, John xv. 2. d Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire, Matt. vii. 19. 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, xxi. 19. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance, Ps.lxxx. 15, 16. And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 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: 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, Is. v. 2-7. When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for A. D. 26. begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear, 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18. VER. 11. Ἐγὼ μὲν βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν· ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερός μου ἐστὶν, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαστίσει ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίω καὶ πυρί. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: b but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: a See parallels on first clause of ver. 6. ch. iii. 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 vinetree 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 hang 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, 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. 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. 6-9. 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. 6. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned, Heb. vi. 8. For the time is come that judgment must | I must decrease. He that cometh from And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose, Mark i. 7. And as John fulfilled his course he said, whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose, Acts xiii. 25. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke i. 17. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me, John i. 15. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; Heit is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose, 26, 27. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me, 30. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God, 34. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but D2 above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him, iii. 28-36. When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning, Isa. iv. 4. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and. floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring, xliv. 3. 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 fullers' 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. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years, Mal.iii. 2-4. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, Mark i. John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, Luke iii. 16. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost, John i. 33. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence, Acts i. 5. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, 8. A. D. 26. and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance, ii. 2-4. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, xi. 15, 16. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. vi. 11. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit, xii. 13. 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, Gal. iii. 27, 28. VER. 12. Οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὑτοῦ, καὶ συνάξει τον σῖτον αυτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποθηκην, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον και τακαύσει πυρὶ ασβέστω. Whose a fan is in his hand, and bhe will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; d but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. a The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan, Isa. xxx. 24. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel, xli. 16. At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, Jer. iv. 11. And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land, I will be reave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways, xv. 7. And will send un to Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about, li. 2. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. Luke iii. 17. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, Matt. xiii. 41. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, 49, 50. 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. 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. 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, John xv. 2. • Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn, Matt. xiii. 30. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear, 43. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not theleast grain fall upon the earth, Amos ix. 9. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away, Job xxi. 18. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away, Ps. i. 4. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them, XXXV. 5. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up A. D. 26. as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel, Isa. v. 24. The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind, xvii. 13. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney, Hos. xiii. 3. e And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them, Isa. i. 31. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? xxxiii. 14. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh, lxvi. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD; behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched, Jer. vii. 20. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusa lem, and it shall not be quenched, xvii. 27. And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GoD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein, And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched, Ezek. xx. 47, 48. Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, Matt. xxv. 41. 46. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, Mark ix. 43-48. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 7. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, Rev. xiv. 10, 11. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever, xx. 10. VER. 13. Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ ̓ αὐτοῦ. Then cometh Jesus a from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be baptized of him. a See parallels on ver. 22. chap. ii. VER. 14. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν, λέγων· Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με; A. D. 27. and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me, John xiii. 6-8. b And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace, John i. 16. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again, iii. 3-7. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me:-for without me ye can do nothing, John xv. 4,5. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins, Acts v. 30, 31. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all), x. 36. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist: and he is the head of the body, the Church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Fa ther that in him should all fulness know what is the exceeding greatness dwell, Col. i. 17-19. That ye may of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all prinminion, and every name that is named, cipality, and power, and might, and donot only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all a Then cometh he to Simon Peter: things under his feet, and gave him and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost to be the head over all things to the thou wash my feet? Jesus answered | church, which is his body, the fulness But a John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? |