quence, for they were filled with pride, looking upon themselves as the only good people in the world, and despising everybody else.

Many of the Pharisees were much worse than this, for many of them made a pretence of religion to hide the most dreadful wickedness, going about with an outside show of holiness, and at the same time cheating and oppressing wherever they could. Their character for religion made it more easy for them to do this, so that they put it on as a sort of cloak to hide their love of money and their secret sins. These were wicked men indeed, for they were hypocrites, and hypocrisy is the worst of all sins, for it is lying to God.

The Sadducees were just the contrary of all this. They laughed at religion altogether. They did not believe that men could ever rise from the grave, so they did not believe there was either heaven or hell, and as they pretended that this life was all a man had to look to, so they taught that the wisest thing that could be done, was to enjoy every possible pleasure, without caring whether it was right or wrong. They thought themselves very clever, and they were as proud of their cleverness as the Pharisees were of their pretended goodness.

Both these parties must have come to John only because they thought he could tell them how to be sure of places in the new kingdom, which men believed the Messiah was coming to set up, and in which they hoped they would be rich and great; for the Pharisees thought they had no sins to confess, and the Sadducees can have cared but little whether they had sins or not.

The way in which John spoke to them must have startled them, and was very likely to make them ask themselves whether they really were as safe as they thought. He called them, (Pharisees and Sadducees alike,) "vipers," dangerous creatures, full of poison that must hurt whoever had to do with them. He put the plain question to them, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? They deserved to be con

demned for their sins,-did they know this? Had God really touched their hearts and made them anxious for pardon? If this were really so, they must show it by changing their lives and characters altogether, and in this way bring forth fruits worthy of the sorrow they pretended to feel; for John would have them all understand that if they came to him for baptism, they must confess that they were sinners.

He knew that all the Jews thought they were the favorites of God because they were the children (that is, they were born from the families who had been long ago the children) of His faithful servant Abraham. He knew they hoped that because of this they were sure to be counted as God's servants whether they were really so or not.

On this account John took care to tell them that they would find themselves terribly mistaken, for though, for Abraham's sake, God had shewn to the whole nation of the Jews much kindness, the time was come when they would find, that all who, like Abraham, believed and obeyed Him, would be counted by God as His children.

The Jews had looked upon all other people besides themselves as stones of the desert, of no value at all; but they would find now, that from these God could, and would, raise up faithful children to Abraham. They looked upon themselves as trees of the Lord's planting, and of great value as belonging to His own vineyard, but they would soon find that the time was come when each one of them who did not, as a good tree, bring forth the good fruits of a holy life, would be hewn down and cast into the fire. I need not tell you what this meanssurely you must yourself see that every one of them who did not really repent and lead a new life, whatever might be his character among men, by whatever name he might be called, would certainly be condemned by God, and so lose all hope of heaven, by being cast into hell.

Oh what a warning for each one of ourselves!

The words of John to the Pharisees and Sadducees, were these,

Verses 9, 10. "And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 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.”

It was in this way John spoke to the proud Pharisees and to the mocking Sadducees--and when

LUKE III. 10, 11.. "The people asked him, saying, What shall we do, then? (to show that we wish to bring forth good fruits?) He answered and said unto them, he that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

Let every one of you, rich and poor, give what yon can to those that need. Shew your love to God by your kindness to men, and by your willingness to share the good things He has given you with those who are not so well off as yourself.

Verses 12, 13.

"Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”

I must explain to you what the Publicans were who came to John to be baptised, and to hear from him what they ought to do.

You must always remember while reading the New Testament, what you have been told about the Romans making themselves the masters of the Jews and of their country; for you will find the Romans mixed up with so many things, that you will never understand it unless you do. You know what taxes are-well, the Romans made the Jews pay them a great

many taxes, which they thought very hard. They were angry at being obliged to give their money to the Emperor of Rome, who was their enemy, and who kept numbers of his soldiers among them to keep them down, and force them to be his servants. The way in which these taxes were gathered was this: when the Roman officers knew about how much money should be paid them by the people of each town and village, they made a bargain with some men of the Jews, that they should pay to the Roman Governor a certain sum of money every year, and then, that they were to get the tax-money from the people for themselves. Perhaps you may know that turnpike-gates are often managed in this way among ourselves, which may help you to understand it. There is nothing at all unfair in the plan, if it is honestly done. But the Jews were very angry that any of their own people should be willing to do what they thought was joining with the Romans to rob them of their money, for they thought the taxes were unjust altogether; and beside this, they suspected that these men cheated them, and took more than they should have done, to put into their own pockets. Indeed they very often did, for it was a great temptation to them. For this cause these men, who were called Publicans, were hated and despised by the other Jews; and you will find that when they meant to speak of wicked people, they called them Publicans and sinners, as if every Publican were a sinner. But when they asked John what they should do to show that they had really repented of their sins, he did not tell them to give up being Publicans, for there was nothing wicked in being a Publican; but he at once told them that they must never, because it was easy for them to cheat, take one

*To speak more correctly, it should be stated that Roman knights, men of property, farmed the taxes as described above, and employed these men called Publicans in the Scripture, to collect them. These had a share in the profits they could make, and this was a great temptation to oppress the people that they might enrich themselves.

farthing more than was quite just for them to have. He said unto them, "Exact no more than that which is appointed you." Do not take more than the right money that is fixed for the taxes. They were to shew that they were in earnest by changing their lives, not their work. They were to go on with their business, but they were to do it "as unto God, and not as unto " and in the same way when

men;

Verse 14. "The soldiers likewise demanded of John, saying, And what shall we do? he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages."

They were to remain soldiers, but they were to be quiet and orderly, doing harm to no one, and to shew by their peaceable and contented tempers that they really served God.

We must remember that John " came to prepare the way for the Lord" Jesus.

What he taught, shewed men what they were, and what they should be. We shall find that he taught them at the same time to expect One who could and would give them the power and the will to become new creatures.

Prayer.

O God, grant to each one of us the earnest wish to serve thee in all the work we have to do. Save us from hypocrisy, from wishing to be thought better than we are. O make it our earnest desire to be really thy children, and to be careful that our peaceable lives, our honest dealing, and our contented tempers, shew that we are indeed striving "to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."

We know that the axe is laid at the root of the trees, and that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. We know not the day of our death, but we pray thee, O merciful God, to listen to the inter