Repent ye.

The great rite of John was baptism but the great duty commanded was repentance. The baptism was the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins," and the theme of his preaching was "Repent" as. preparation for baptism and the kingdom. Repentance is more than. sorrow for sin; it is. determination to abandon it and live. new life.

For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It is to be noted, 1. That the kingdom to which he referred was in the future, but near. It did not begin with Abraham, or David, or even with John the Baptist. 2. It is the kingdom of heaven, not an earthly kingdom, and hence, must have. King sent from heaven. That King was not yet revealed to the public, but we have seen that one was born at Bethlehem who was to be the King. John was not the founder of the kingdom, but the herald of the coming King. Even the Savior's ministry was preparatory to the inauguration of the kingdom. He sent out his preachers to preach that it was at hand, or near. It was when be was "lifted up" on the cross and from the grave that "all power was given unto him," and the kingdom established on the earth, as the Church of God with Christ as its Head.

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