a: Not when Joseph went to dwell at Nazareth, but a great while after, about the space of five and twenty years: for in the thirtieth year of his age was Jesus baptised of John: therefore by those days, is meant, at that time that Jesus remained as yet an inhabitant of the town of Nazareth.
1: John, who through his singular Holiness and rare austereness of life, caused all men to cast their eyes upon him, prepareth the way for Christ following fast on his heels, as the Prophet Isaiah foretold, and delivereth the sum of the Gospel, which in short space after should be delivered more fully.
*: Mark 1:4 Luke 3:3
b: In a hilly country, which was notwithstanding inhabited, for Zachariah dwelt there: Luke 1:40 and there was Joab's house, 1 Kings 2:34 and besides these, Joshua maketh mention of six towns that were in this wilderness, Joshua 15:61
c: The word in the Greek tongue, signifieth a changing of our minds and hearts from evil to better.
d: The Kingdom of Messiah, whose government shall be heavenly, and nothing but heavenly
*: Isaiah 40:3 Mark 1:3 Luke 3:4 John 1:23
e: Make him a plain and smooth way,
*: Mark 1:6
f: Locusts were a kind of meat, which certain of the East people use, which were therefore called devourers of locusts. Eust. in ode.9
*: Mark 1:5 Luke 1:7
g: The people of Jerusalem.
h: Acknowledging that they were saved only by free remission and forgiveness of their sins.
2: There is nothing that stoppeth up the way of mercy and salvation against us so much as the opinion of our own righteousness doth.
*: Chapter 12:34
3: True repentance, is an inward thing, which hath it's seat in the mind and heart.
4: The faith of the fathers availeth the unbelieving children nothing at all: and yet for all that, God playeth not the liar, nor dealeth unfaithfully in his league which he made with the holy fathers.
i: Think not that you have any cause to be proud of Abraham.
j: In your hearts.
*: John 8:39 Acts 13:26
*: Chapter 7:19
*: Mark 1:8 Luke 3:16 John 1:26 Acts 1:5 and 2:4 and 8:17 and 19:4
5: We may neither dwell upon the signs which God hath ordained as means to lead us to salvation, neither upon them that minister them: but we must climb up to the matter itself that is to say, to Christ who inwardly worketh that effectually, which is outwardly signified unto us.
k: The outward sign putteth us in mind of this, that we must change our lives and become better, assuring us as by a seal, that we are engrafted into Christ, whereby our old man dieth, and the new man riseth up, Romans 6
6: The triumphs of the wicked shall end in everlasting torment.
l: Will cleanse it throughly, and make a full riddance.
*: Mark 1:9 Luke 3:21
7: Christ sanctifieth our baptism in himself.
m: All such things as he hath appointed us to keep.
n: To John.
8: Christ's full consecration and authorising to the office of the Mediatorship, is showed by the Fathers own voice, and a visible sign of the holy Ghost.
*: Colossians 1:13 2 Peter 1:17
o: The Greek word betokeneth a thing of great account, and such as highly pleaseth a man. So then the Father saith, that Christ only is the man, whom when he beholdeth, look what opinion he had conceived of us, he layeth it clean aside.

Chapter 3

1. John preacheth. 4. His apparel, and meat. 5. He baptizeth. 8. The fruits of repentance. 10. The axe at the root of tree. 12. The fan and the chaff. 13. Christ is baptised.

And in a those days, 1 John the Baptist came and * preached in the b wilderness of Judea,
2 And said, c Repent: for the d kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he of whom is it spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, * The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord: e make his paths straight.
4 * And this John had his garment of camels hair, and a girdle of a skin about his loins: his meat also was f locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him g Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan.
6 And they were baptised of him in Jordan, h confessing their sins.
7 2 Now when he saw many of the Pharisees, and of the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, * O generations of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come?
8 3 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy amendment of life.
9 4 And i think not to say j with yourselves, * We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able even of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also is the axe put to the root of the trees: * therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 *5 Indeed I baptise you with water to k amendment of life, but he that cometh after me, is mightier then I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he will baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
12 6 Which hath his fan in his hand, and will l make clean his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13 ¶ *7 Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptised of him.
14 But John earnestly put him back, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 Then Jesus answering, said to him, Let be: now for thus it becometh us to fulfil m all righteousness. So he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptised, came straight out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto n him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
17 8 And lo, a voice came from heaven, saying, * This is my beloved son, in whom I am o well pleased.

David Buckingham