2Of whom I spoke.-John had often spoken of Our Lord, and he now repeats some of what he had said concerning Him.

3Preferred before me.-This is well translated, and gives the sense of the Greek better than the Latin. Jesus' priority of existence and excellence as well giving Him that superior position, although He was conceived three months after John, and did not begin to preach until John had nearly done.

His fulness.-This is adverting to verse 14.

"Grace for grace.-Writers are very much divided as to the meaning of these words. Two meanings meet with the assent of most modern commentators. 1st. We receive grace (for) or because of his grace. 2nd. We receive grace upon grace, the Hebrew form for an immense abundance of graces.

"Law. . . . Grace.-These two things are opposed to each otherthe order of fear to the order of love. And that God loves us is the truth.

"No man hath seen God.-Instances are given in which God was seen; but it was only in figure or shadow. The human mind is of itself incapable of seeing Him.

Is in the bosom.-Although Jesus is here He has not left His place in the bosom of His Father.

There is a difference of opinion as to whether these are the Baptist's words or the Evangelist's. Patrizi thinks they were uttered by both, and his opinion is very probable. We think the Evangelist speaks from verse 16.

The fulness of Grace in Christ:

1st. It is in Him of his own.

Seen God.

Ist. This is shown to be im

2nd. He is most liberal in possible to the eyes of the body. giving.

3rd. It can never be exhausted.

4th. We ought to draw often and give freely.

2nd. Useless to attempt it

here.

3rd. We must wait for the lumen gloriæ.

19. Et hoc est testimonium | Joannis, quandò miserunt Judæi ab Jerosolymis sacerdotes et levitas ad eum ut interrogarent eum: "Tu quis es ?"

20. Et confessus est et non negavit, et confessus est: "Quia non sum ego Christus."

21. Et interrogaverunt eum: "Quid ergò? Elias es tu?" Et dixit: "Non sum.-Propheta es tu ?" Et respondit: "Non."

22. Dixerunt ergò ei: "Quis es, ut responsum demus his qui miserunt nos? quid dicis de teipso?"

23. Ait: "Ego vox clamantis in deserto: Dirigite viam Domine sicut dixit Isaias propheta."

24. Et qui missi fuerant erant ex pharisæis.

19. And this is the 'testimony of John, when 'the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: 'Who art thou?

20. And he confessed, and 'did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.

21. And they asked him : What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: "No.

22. Then they said to him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?

23. He said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaias said. 24. And they that were sent were of the Pharisees.

The Priests and Scribes, perceiving from the prophecy of Daniel, and from rumours which were abroad about great things being done, thought the Messiah might be in the country. There is generally an excited state of feeling amongst the people when great events are about to happen.

They knew very well who John was. He was the son of a priest, and consequently a priest himself. But then he led a wonderful life-he was baptising and preaching penance-he had said hard things about Pharisees, and was kind to the sinners, soldiers and publicans. This was new. There was another prophet talked of also, and John spoke very highly of this other. It was their business to see to the matter; happy in the thought that they might possibly circumvent those two prophets, and treat them as their fathers had done their forerunners!

1Testimony of John.-The Evangelist ceases to give his own words now, but returns to the Baptist.

The Jews. This is supposed to be the Sanhedrim who represented the Jews when they were a people. When John writes, the Jews were already outcasts, and their nation a thing of the past.

Who art thou ?—The emphasis is placed on thou-such an extraordinary being and of such unheard-of practices.

4Did not deny.—He was aware that they expected him to say he was the Messiah; and then perhaps they had a toil extended for him.

Art thou Elias? . . . . I am not.-Our Lord did not say he was Elias, but the Elias (you mean) is already come. John was come to fulfil the prophecy.

No.-Our Lord said He was more than a prophet.

What sayest thou of thyself.-Here was S. John, than whom a greater was not born of women, disclaiming any rank or title whatever. What though he was Elias the second and more than a prophet. He was not aware that he was so great a man. He had a mission given him and he did it.

I am the voice.-Vox, et preterea nihil is the opinion this wonderful man has of Himself. What a lesson to us all!

Of the Pharisees.-The priests and levites were divided between Pharisees and Sadducees. The majority of them belonged to the former class.

Claiming titles:

Ist. This was denounced by Our Lord.

The Great:

Ist. Think lowly of themselves.

2nd. Are not conscious of the

2nd. Denounced by the real greatness of their deeds. Baptist.

3rd. Refused by Angel in Apocalypse.

25. Et interrogaverunt eum et dixerunt ei: "Quid ergò baptizas, si tu non es Christus neque Elias, neque propheta?"

26. Respondit eis Joannes dicens: "Ego baptizo in aquâ; medius autem vestrum stetit quem vos nescitis:

3rd. Feel the exercise of their powers or talents as a duty to the Giver of them.

25. And they asked him, and said to him: 'Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not "Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?

26. John answered them, saying: I baptize in 'water, but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know

not.

27. "Ipse est qui post me venturus est, qui ante me factus est, cujus ego non sum dignus ut solvam ejus corrigiam calceamenti."

28. Hæc in Bethaniâ facta sunt trans Jordanem, ubi erat Joannes baptizans.

27. The same is he that 'shall come after me, who is preferred before me; "the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.

28. These things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

From the prophecies of Ezechiel xxxvi. 25: "And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness," and other passages bearing in the same direction, the ancient Rabbis concluded very justly that the Messias and His followers would use a baptism. This "baptism" came to be a significant word. It was applied by Our Lord to the martyrdom of His followers and to His own Passion. Its full significance was an outward rite carrying sanctifying grace in it.

Now, John's baptism lacked this potency. It was a mere ceremony whereby people humbled themselves in token of repentance and improvement of life. John told them that Jesus would give a new baptism "in the S. Matthew, iii. 11.

Holy Ghost and fire."—

Our Lord's baptism is given in the name of the Three Persons of the Trinity and, ex opere operato, it gives grace, or the fire of God's love.

Why dost thou baptize ?-This ceremony belongs only to the Messias. It is a new thing, and we want to see your authority for introducing it.

2Christ nor Elias.—It seems from this that Elias the Second, or John himself, was expected to baptize.

3The prophet.-This must be a repetition of the Christ, or perhaps it was some other prophet who was expected.

4Water. That is in water merely, which is but a symbol of the reality

to come.

5 Whom you know not.-Our Lord had not yet performed any miracle, and had never appeared in public since he was twelve years of age.

Shall come after me.-When I am put to death His work will commence. "The latchet of Whose shoe.-This is the lowest office you could do for a person. The force of the remark lies in the exceeding distance between a mere creature and his Creator.

Bethania.-Some copies of the Greek Testament (our "Recepta " among the rest) have Bethabara. This must be another Bethany than

the home of Lazarus, as this latter was several miles from the Jordan. It means a boat house any way, and there were plenty of those along the Jordan.