2. If any here is a slave of sin, let him
promptly prepare himself through faith for the new birth into freedom
and adoption; and having put off the miserable bondage of his sins, and
taken on him the most blessed bondage of the Lord, so may he be counted
worthy to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Put off, by
confession See Index,
“Confession.”, the old man,
which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit, that ye may put
on the new man, which is renewed according to knowledge of Him that
created him Eph. iv. 22; Col. iii. 10.. Get you the
earnest of the Holy Spirit 2 Cor. i. 22. through faith, that
ye may be able to be received into the everlasting
habitations Luke xvi. 9.. Come for the
mystical Seal, that ye may be easily recognised by the Master; be ye
numbered among the holy and spiritual flock of Christ, to be set apart
on His right hand, and inherit the life prepared for you. For
they to whom the rough garment Compare xv. 25. of their sins still
clings are found on the left hand, because they came not to the grace
of God which is given through Christ at the new birth of Baptism:
new birth I mean not of bodies, but the spiritual new birth of the
soul. For our bodies are begotten by parents who are seen, but
our souls are begotten anew through faith: for the Spirit
bloweth where it listeth John iii. 8.: and then, if
thou be found worthy, thou mayest hear, Well done, good and faithful
servant Matt. xxv. 21., when thou art found
to have no defilement of hypocrisy in thy conscience.