stones? If the Jewish children shall hold their peace, the elder and the younger Gentiles shall cry out. Who are the stones, but they of whom speaketh that very John, who came “to bear witness of the Light”?3629 For when he saw these self-same Jews priding themselves on their birth from Abraham, he said to them, “O generation of vipers.”3630 They called themselves the children of Abraham; and he addressed them, “O generation of vipers.” Did he do Ab- raham wrong? God forbid! He gave them a name from their character. For that if they were the children of Abraham, they would imitate Abraham; as He too telleth them who say to Him, “We be free, and were never in bondage to any man; we have Abraham for our father.” And He said, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the deeds of Abraham. Ye wish to kill Me, because I tell you the truth. This did not Abraham.”3631 Ye were of his stock, but ye are a degenerate stock. So then what said John? “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Because they came to be baptized with the baptism of John unto repentance. “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance. And say not in your hearts, We have Abraham to our father. For God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” 3632 For God is able of these stones which he saw in the Spirit; to them he spake; he foresaw us; “For God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Of what stones? “If these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.” Ye have just now heard, and cried out. It is fulfilled, “The stones shall cry out.” For from among the Gentiles we came, in our forefathers we worshipped stones. Therefore are we called dogs too. Call to mind what that woman heard who cried out after the Lord, for she was a Canaanitish woman, a worshipper of idols, the handmaid of devils. What said Jesus to her? “It is not good to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”3633 Have ye never noticed, how dogs will lick the greasy stones? So are all the worshippers of images. But grace has come to you. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” See ye have here some just now born: to them hath He “given power to become the sons of God.” To whom hath He given it? “To them that believe in His Name.” 470 4. And how do they become the sons of God? “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God.”3634 Having received power to become the sons of God, they are born of God. Mark then: They are born of God, “not of blood,” like their first birth, like that wretched birth, issuing out of wretchedness. But they who are 3629 John i. 8. 3630 Matt. iii. 7. 3631 John viii. 39, 40. 3632 Luke iii. 7, 8. 3633 Matt. xv. 26. 3634 John i. 13. 975 On the words of the Gospel, John i. 10, ‘The world was made through him,’…