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Rh and kneeling downe saith to him: If thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane. And having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, he saith unto him: I wil. Be thou made cleane. And when he had spoken, immediatly the leprosie departed from him, and he was made cleane. And he threatned him, and forthwith cast him forth. And he saith to him: See thou tel no body, but goe, shew thyselfe to the high Priest, and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moyses * commanded, for a testimonie to them. But he being gone forth, began to publish, and to blase abrode the word: so that now he could not openly goe into the citie, but was abrode in desert places, and they came together unto him from al sides.

ANNOTATIONS . I.

5. Confessing their sinnes.) A certaine confession of sinnes there was even in that penance which John preached, and which was made before men were baptized. Wherby it is cleere that John made a preparation to the Sacrament of Penance which afterward was instituted by Christ, as wel as he did by baptizing prepare the way to Christs Baptisme.

5. Their sinnes.) He doth not say that they confessed them selves to be sinners, which may be done by a general confession: but that they confessed their sinnes, which is a particular confession.

6. Clothed.) The Holy Ghost thought it worthy of special reporting how straitly this Prophet lived, and how he abstained from delicate meates and apparel. See Mat. 6, 3.

8. With water.) John with water only, Christ with the Holy Ghost, not only, as the Heretikes hold, that say water is not necessary, but with water and the Holy Ghost, as it is plaine Jo. 3. unles a man be borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost, he shal not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

9. Baptized of John.) The humility of Christ not disdaining his servants Baptisme. Which is an example for al faithful not to disdaine Christs Sacraments of any Priest, be he never so simple, being by the Catholike Church lawfully called. Aug. li. 5. de bapt. c. 9.

10. The Spirit.) Expresse mention of the B. Trinitie; the Father speaketh from Heaven, the Holy Ghost appeareth in the likenesse of a dove, the Sonne also is recommended unto us. Ambros. li. 1. de Sacramen. c. 5.

12. Desert.) Christ doing pennance by long fasting, solitarinesse, and conversing with wilde beastes, gave example and instruction to the Church for Lent fast, and to holy Eremites of retiring them selves to the wildernesse and prayer.

35. Desert place.) Christ used very often to retire into solitary places, no doubt for our example to teach us that such places are best for prayer and contemplation, and that we should often retire our selves from worldly matters to solitary meditation of heavenly things.

. II.

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