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the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead'.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 2.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God 3.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ'.

And have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus; that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness'.

3.-in that a holy life is essential to the character of a Christian, and is made a condition of salvation in the Gospel covenant.

Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the Gospel".

Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord'.

Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father Which is in heaven".

1 Col. ii. 11, 12.
4 Gal. iii. 27.
7 Acts iii. 19.

2 Ibid. iii. 1.
5 Eph. iv. 21. 24.
8 Matt. xviii. 3.

3 Ibid. ver. 3.
6 Mark i. 14, 15.
9 Ibid. vii. 21.

If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments1.

and If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour 2.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bear more fruit3.

Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples *.

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you, he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil".

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God; neither he that loveth not his brother'.

And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandment, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in Him 8.

1 Matt. xix. 17.
4 Ibid. ver. 8.

2 John xii. 26.
1 John ii. 28.

7 Ibid. ver. 10.

3 Ibid. xv. 1, 2. Ibid. iii. 6—8.

8 Ibid. ii. 3—6.

4.-in that without holiness we should be incapable of the happiness designed for pious Christians in

heaven.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure1.

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God 2.

But 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 3.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace*.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 3.

5.-in that disobedience in a Christian is a crime of a more heinous nature, and will be more severely punished in the day of judgment,

Moses truly said unto the fathers; a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear That Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people .

1 1 John iii. 2, 3. 4 Rom. viii. 5, 6.

2 Matt. v. 8.
5 Gal. vi. 7, 8.

3 John iii. 5, 6.
• Acts iii. 22, 23.

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'.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin; woe unto thee, Bethsaida; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.

I

For that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more 3.

3

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness *.

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 stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost'?

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died

22.

1 Matt. iii. 10.
2 Ibid. xi. 21,

3 Luke xii. 47, 48.

without 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'. God be merciful to me a sinner.

Our Father, Which art in heaven &c.

Prayer that we may live answerably to the obligations of our Christian profession.

BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And blessed be Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the only Mediator between God and men, Who humbled Himself even to the death of the cross, that we might live through Him, and Who is now set down at the right hand of God, where He ever liveth to make intercession for us.

I beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst fit and prepare me more and more for that eternal redemption, which our Saviour Christ hath obtained for us. Give me that repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, which will entitle me to the benefits of His death and passion: and grant that the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, may effectually teach and persuade me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

1 Heb. x. 26-29.

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