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the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

And John also was baptizing in Enon, near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.

Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews, about purifying.

And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him,

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the CHRIST, but 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 I must decrease.

He that cometh from 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.

that he testiñeth ; He that hath re

And what he hath seen and heard, and no man receiveth his testimony. ceived 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

and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of GoD abideth on him.

Now Herod the tetrarch had married Herodias, hist brother Philip's wife and John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not.

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

But Herod himself laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

1

* Soon after his baptism, JESUS began to call disciples, who, under his immediate commission, baptized the people in Judea unto repentance and belief in the doctrine of CHRIST, as John did before, and even at that very time. This brought on a comparison between the Baptist and our SAVIOUR: for though there was such an agreement in their doctrines, some through igno-. rance were ready to oppose them to each other. John's disciples having had a dispute with some of the Jews on this subject, complained to their master. This fur nished the Baptist with an occasion, before his own ministry expired, of bearing testimony to JESUS in the actual exercise of his prophetical office. The answer which John returned to his disciples, strongly implied the exalted sense he entertained of the person of our Lord.

In my Annotations on the history of John the Baptist, I have borrowed very freely from a valuable set of Sermons, published in the year 1782, preached before the University of Oxford, by the Rev. Robert Holmes, at Bampton's Lecture.

He reminded them, that he never pretended to be the MESSIAH, but only his harbinger; assured them, that the success of JESUS and himself were both given from above in just proportion to their different offices; that he rejoiced in the honour and happiness of CHRIST, as a friend who assists at a marriage-feast partakes of the happiness of the bridegroom. John then proceeded to instruct his disciples concerning the divine nature of the MESSIAH, and taught them to consider him as the Son of GOD, who, as the WORD, came down from heaven, and spake what he had actually seen and heard, though the greatest part of mankind would not believe him; those who did, bare witness to the truth of God, who, by sending the MESSIAH, bad fulfilled his promises.. And they likewise expressed their faith in the declaration which God made concerning Jesus at his baptism, that he was his beloved Son, and as such infinitely superior to all the teachers who had ever before appeared on the earth; for the highest of these had, like the Baptist himself, only occasional revelations from God; but the HOLY SPIRIT, which had at times inspired them, remained constantly with Jesus. John then informed his, disciples, that whoever should give up his faith and obedience to CHRIST, would be in the way to obtain everlasting life; but whosoever should reject him, would continue under the wrath of God for their former sins, and be excluded the salvation he had graciously offered to mankind through his beloved SoN, to whom God had committed the government of all things, and through whom he HIMSELF acted. Soon after John had deli. vered this remarkable testimony, he was cast into prison, and his ministry expired.

As the Baptist certainly spake by divine inspiration, and what he taught to his own disciples has, by the good

ness

ness of God, been transmitted to us, we ought to avail ourselves of his instructions for the establishment of our faith in CHRIST: let us, therefore, pay particular at tention to his doctrine, for it relates to the fundamental principles of our HOLY RELIGION.

SECTION XXIV.

JESUS DISCOURSES WITH THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA.

From John, Chap. iv.

WHEN therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that JESUS made and baptized more disciples. than John (though JESUS himself baptized not, but his disciples),

He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sycher, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Now Jacob's well was there. JESUS therefore, being 'wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: JESUS saith unto her, Give me to drink.

For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy

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Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealings. with the Samaritans.

JESUS answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to

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draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

JESUS answered and said unto her, Whosoever drink. eth of this water shall thirst again:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

JESUS saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. JESUS said unto her, thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

JESUS saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true wor shippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

GOD is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh,

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