The remarkable manner of his appearance.

made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

-XV.

97

the crooked shall be tain and hill shall be brought down before him; SEÇT. even the crooked roads shall be made into a straight way, and the rough places shall be laid Luke smooth and level: for by the mighty power II1.6. of his grace, which shall be now remarkably displayed, such a victorious way shall be made for his gospel, and it shall be propagated with such speed and success, that it shall seem as if the whole face of nature were miraculously changed; and mountains and valleys and forests and rocks were to spread themselves into a spacious plain before the messenger of it. And thus, not the land of Israel alone, but 6 all flesh, or the whole human race, not excepting the remotest Gentile nations, shall see and admire the great salvation of God."

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of

God.

MAT. III. 4. And

hair, and a leathern

[MARK. I. 6.]

a

Now, that this extraordinary message might the same John had meet with the greater regard, God was pleased. his raiment of camel's to send it by a person on many accounts remarkgirdie about his loins; able, and especially for the temperance and even and his meat was lo- the severity of his manner of living. For this custs and wild honey. John wore (as the ancient prophets used to do) rough garment which was made of camel's hair, and so indeed was but a kind of sackcloth; and he had a leathern girdle about his waist (compare 2 Kings i. 8. Zech. xiii. 4. Rev. vi. 12. and xi. 3.) And as for his food, it was such as the wilderness afforded, which was frequently nothing but a large kind of locustsk, which the law allowed

i Every mountain and hill shall be brought dezen before him.] Grotius has most elegantly illustrated the reference that appears so plainly in this passage to the custom of sending pioneers to level the way before princes when they are coming with numerous attendants: but, by the import of the language that the prophet uses, it is plainly to be seen that the main work is God's, though men are cailed to concur with him in it; which is every where the scheme of scripture, as it certainly is of sound reason. Compare Phil. ii. 12, 13.

A large kind of locusts.] Though it may be allowed, on the authority of the accurate Sandys (see his valuable Travels, p. 183) and many others, that there is in these parts a shrub called the Locust-Tree, the buds of which something resemble as paragus; yet, notwithstanding all the pains Sir Norton Knatchbull has taken to prove it, I cannot imagine the word axis is here to be understood as referring to the product of it. It is certain the word in the Septuagint and elsewhere generally

signifies the animal which we call a locust,
or a large winged grashopper (see Rev. ix.
3, 7, 9.) which the law allowed the Jews
to ea: (Lev. xi. 21, 22.) and which Pliny
assures us made a considerable part of the
food of the Parthians and Ethiopians. (See
Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xi. cap. 29. and lib.
vi. cap. 50.) The matter is excellently
illustrated by the learned notes of Hein-
sius, Drusius and Elsner, on this place;
but Erasmus is tediously prolix upon it,
and, which is strange, he is very, warm.
too. What need have we to keep a guard
upon our spirits when so great and so good
natured a man could be angry in a debate
of so small importance !—1 shall add only
on this point, with respect to the use of
locusts for food, what Dr, Shaw tells us,
that, when sprinkled with salt and fried,
they taste much like the river cray fish;
who justly contends for this signification of
the word axgides in his excellent Travels,
p. 258; where he also observes that,
as the months of April and May are the
time when these insects abound, it may
probably

Mat. III. 4.

98

XV.

Reflections on the preaching of John.

SECT. allowed him to eat (Lev. xi. 21, 22,) and wild honey, often to be found in hollow trees or in the clefts of the rocks. (Compare 1 Sam. xiv. 26. III. 4. Judg. xiv. 8. and Psal. lxxxi. 16.)

Mat.

5 Then went

out

rusalem, and all [the

5 These uncommon circumstances of his pub-
lic appearance concurred with the time of it to to him [they of] Je-
awaken in the people a great regard for his land of] Judea, and
preaching for their uneasiness under the Ro- all the region round
man yoke, which then bore hard upon them, 1. 5.]
about Jordan [MARK
raised the most impatient desire of the Messiah's
arrival; by whom they expected not only deli-'
verance, but conquest and universal monarchy.
They therefore attentively listened to this pro-
clamation of his approach; so that the inhabi-
tants of Jerusalem, and multitudes out of all the
land of Judea, and all the region round about Jor-
dan, went out to hear him, and were attentive
6 to him. And great numbers of them were
brought under very serious impressions by his baptized of him
faithful remonstrances, expostulations and warn- confessing their sins.
ings and those that were awakened to repent- MARK I. 5.]
ance were all baptized by him in the river Jor-
dan; expressing the convictions they were un-
der by confessing their sins, and, by submitting
to this rite, engaging themselves for the future
to reformation and obedience.

6 And were [all]

in [the river of] Jordan,

Mark

IMPROVEMΕΝΤ.

With what pleasure should we hear the gospel of Jesus Christ i. 1. the Son of God! and with what reverence remember the dignity of his Divine nature amidst all the condescensions of his incarnate state!

Mat.

It is surely matter of unspeakable thankfulness that the kingii. 2 dom of heaven should be erected among men! that the great God should condescend so far as to take to himself a people from our mean and sinful world, and appoint his own Son to be the governor of that kingdom! How happy are we that it is preached among us and we are called into it! Let it be our great care that we be not only nominal but real members of it.

For this purpose let us remember and consider that, to become the subjects of this kingdom, we are to enter into it by the

probably be conjectured that John began
his ministry about that season of the year;
which might also seem more convenient
for receiving, and especially, for baptizing
so great a number of people, than winter
could have been.

I Went out to him.] The novelty of a

way

prophet's appearance in Israel, the family of John, the circumstances of his birth, and the extraordinary character he had, no doubt, maintained for strict and undissembled piety, all concurred with the causes mentioned in the paraphrase to draw such vast multitudes after him.

The Pharisees and Sadducees come to hear John.

way of repentance; humbly confessing our sins, and resolutely for- SECT. saking them, if we do indeed desire to find mercy.

XV.

Let us bless God, both for the promises of pardon and for the Luke appointment of the seals of it, particularly of baptismal washing; always remembering the obligation it brings upon us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor. vii. 1.)

And, being ourselves become members of Christ's kingdom, let Ver. us pray that it may be every where extended. May Divine 4, 6 Grace remove every obstruction, and make a free course for his gospel, that it may every where run and be glorified, so that all Flesh may see the salvation of God!

John, with this awful severity of manners and of doctrine, was sent before Christ to prepare his way. Let us learn to reflect how necessary it is that the law should thus introduce the gospel; and let all the terrors of Moses and Elias render the mild and blessed Redeemer so much the more welcome to our souls!

SECT XVI.

John the Baptist addresses suitable admonitions to those that attended his ministry, and proclaims the approach of the Messiah. Mat. III. 7-12. Mark I. 7, 8. Luke III. 7—18.

MAT. III. 7.

BUT when he saw

many of the Pharisees and Sadducees

be said unto them, O generation of vipers,

W

MAT. III. 7.

99

SECT.

Mat.

III. 7.

HEN John opened his ministry there were xvi. two different sects among the Jews; that come to his baptism, of the Pharisees, who were exceeding strict in ceremonial institutions and in the observation who bath warned you of human traditions; and that of the Sadducees, to flee from the wrath who, among other very obnoxious notions, de10 come? [LUKE III. nied the existence of spirits and a future state of rewards and punishments: yet some of both these sects, out of curiosity or popular custom, or for some other unknown reason, attended on the preaching of this holy man : And when he saw among the multitudes that came to be baptized by him, that many both of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to receive his baptism, as he well knew the open profaneness of the one and the secret wickedness of the other,

a Pharisees and Sadducees.] The most authentic account of these sects may be seen in Joseph. Antiq. Jud. lib. xviii. cap. 1. (al. 2) & Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 8. (al. 7) Havere. All writers of Jewish Intiquities describe them largely; but, I think on the whole, none better than Dr. Prideaux, Connect. Vol. II. p. 335-343.

b Coming to receive his baptism.] I ex

he

press it in this manner, for though some
understand the words το βαπλίσμα
al, of their coming to oppose his bap-
tism, I think the reasons for that interpret-
ation not worth mentioning here, and re-
fer my reader to Raphelius, who has given
them a larger examination than they de-
serve. Annot. ex Xen. p. 7–11.

C

c0 ye

100

They are exhorted to repentance.

SECT. he did not flatter them at all in his address, but xvi. said unto them, as with some surprize, Oye abo

Mat.

8

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for

[or worthy of [repent

ance: [LUKE III.

8.]

9 And think not

minable broods of vipers, crafty, malignant, misIII. 7. chievous creatures, who hath taught you to put on this form of humility and repentance and admonished you to flee from the wrath which is surely and speedily to come? What is it that bath moved you to it, when you Pharisees think yourselves so secure from it on account of the pretended sanctity of your lives, and you Sadducees imagine it to be no other than a mere fable and a dream? Let me exhort you therefore, if you design to be baptized by me, to make it your serious and resolute care to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and to act like those that are penitents indeed, forsaking as well as confes9 sing your sins: And, if you neglect this, do not presumptuously think it will be to any purpose to say within yourfor you to say within yourselves, We have Abra- selves, We have Aham, for our father relying on your descent for I say unto you, from that holy patriarch, and your being that That God is able of seed of his with whom a peculiar covenant was these stones to raise up made; for I solemnly say, and declare it unto children unto Abraham. [LUKE 111. you, as a certain and important truth, That God is able, of these very stones that are before your eyes, which he can animate and sanctify whenever he sees fit, to raise up those who, though not descended from human parents, shall be in a much nobler sense than you children to Abraham, as being made the heirs of his faith and obedience; and he would sooner work such a miracle as this than he would suffer his promise to fail, or admit you to the blessings of his ap

O ye broods of vipers.] Some think this is to be understood as if it had been said, Ye wicked children of wicked parents, but such a reflection on their parents is not necesssarily implied. The children of pious Eli are called sons of Belial, merely with reference to their own licentious characters as they knew not the Lord. See 1 Sam. ii. 12. The word revpala may be used in the plural number in reference to the ditferent sentiments, and, if I may be allowed the expression (familiar enough to the Jewish doctors,) the different families of these serts in question.

d We have Abraham for our father.] Dr. Whitby well shews how great the presumption of the Jews on this relation to Abraham was. Munster, on this text, quotes a remarkable passage from the Talmud, in which it is said, "That Abra

proaching

braham to our father;

8.1

ham sits next the gates of hell, and doth not permit any wicked Israelite to go down into it." These Jews might perhaps pervert the promise in Jer. xxxi. 35, 36, to support this vain and dangerous confidence, in opposition to such a multitude of most express and awful threatenings; particularly Deut. xxxii. 19. & seq.

e Of these very stones that are before your eyes.] The many learned commentators who refer this to God's calling the Gentiles, supposing some of them to be present here, seem to lose all the beauty of the expression; which I have paraphrased at large, because I think few, if any, have set it in so strong a light as it will well bear. It is but a precarious conjecture that the stones here referred to were those set up in Gilgal. Josh. iv. 3, 20.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees;

hewn down and cast

John's awful warning and advice.

101

proaching kingdom, merely because you have SECT. the abused honour to descend from that

favourite of heaven.

peculiar

xvi.

Mat.

These are truths of constant concern, and III. 10. now particularly seasonable; for the patience. therefore every tree of God will not much longer endure so provokwhich bringeth not ing a people. You think of national deliverance, forth good fruit is but beware of national judgments; for I assure into the fire. [LUKE you that the hand of God is lifted up, and the are of Divine Justice is even now, as it were, applied to the very root of the trees; and therefore every tree that doth not produce good fruit, (even every one that, while he professeth himself to be one of God's people, contradicts that profession by a life of wickedness, or by the neglect of vital and practical religion) is very certainly and quickly to be cut down by death, and thrown into the fire of hell.

LUKE III. 10.

him, saying, What shall we do then?

Upon this, many of the Pharisees and Sad- Luke And the people asked ducees, who expected to have been treated III. 10. with greater respect, were so provoked that they turned their backs upon the prophet, and refused to be baptized. (Compare Luke vii. 29, 30. and Mat. xxi. 25.) But it was otherwise with the common people, who were alarmed by what he said, and the multitudes, who were more teachable, asked him, saying, What then shall we do, that we may be prepared for the kingdom of the Messiah, and may escape this dreadful condemnation and approaching wrath? 11 He answereth And he answereth and saith unto them, Be careful 11 and saith unto them, not only to observe the ceremonies of religion, coats, let him impart but to attend to the great duties of justice and to him that hath none; of charity too, which are incumbent upon you well as on the great and rich; and he, for instance, that hath two coats, let him impart one of them to him that hath none; and he that hath plenty of food, let him do the like.

He that hath two

and he that hath meat, let him do likewise,

12 Then came also

Publicans to be bap

tized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

as

Then there came also some of the Publicans to 12 be baptized: now these Publicans were a set of men whose office it was to collect the taxes which the Romans had imposed on the Jews, and to pay them to others who were called the

f Is very certainly and quickly to be cut down.] It is expressed, in the original, in the present tense; and it may be of some importance to observe here that, in scripture language that which is very sure and very near is spoken of as if it was already done. Thus Christ speaks of himself as if he VOL. VI.

chief