5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the a Ac.1.5. 2.38. 19.4,5,18. roasted enough, he took them by the legs and head, and devoured the re mainder at one mouthful. When the the vilest of the people used to eat them; and the fact that John made his food of them is significant of his great poverty and humble life. The Jews were al-Arabs have them in quantities, they lowed to eat them. Lev. xi. 22. Lo- roast or dry them in an oven, or boil custs are flying insects, and are of va- them and eat them with salt. The rious kinds. The green locusts are Arabs in the kingdom of Morocco boil about two inches in length, and about the locusts; and the Bedouins eat lothe thickness of a man's finger. The custs, which are collected in great quancommon brown locust is about three tities in the beginning of April, when inches long. The general form and they are easily caught. After having appearance of the locust is not unlike been roasted a little upon the iron plate the grasshopper. They were one of on which bread is baked, they are dried the plagues of Egypt (Ex. x.). In east- in the sun, and then put into large sacks, ern countries they are very numerous. with the mixture of a little salt. They They appear in such quantities as to are never served up as a dish, but every darken the sky, and devour in a short one takes a handful of them when huntime every green thing. The whole earth gry."-Un. Bib. Dic. Wild honey. is sometimes covered with them for This was probably the honey that he many leagues. Joel i. 4. Isa. xxxiii. 4, 5. found in the rocks of the wilderness. "Some species of the locust are eaten Palestine was often called the land at this day in eastern countries, and flowing with milk and honey. Ex iii are even esteemed a delicacy when 8, 17; xiii. 5. Bees were kept with properly cooked. After tearing off the great care; and great numbers of them legs and wings, and taking out the en- abounded in the fissures of trees and trails, they stick them in long rows the clefts of rocks. There is also upon wooden spits, roast them at the species of honey called wild-honey, or fire, and then proceed to devour them wood-honey (1 Sam. xiv. 27, margin), with great zest. There are also other or honey-dew, produced by certain lit ways of preparing them. For exam- tle insects, and deposited on the leaves ple: they cook them and dress them in of trees, and flowing from them in great oil; or, having dried them, they pul- quantities to the ground. See 1 Sam. verize them, and when other food is xiv. 24-27. This is said to be produc. scarce, make bread of the meal. The ed still in Arabia; and perhaps it was Bedouins pack them with salt, in close this which John lived upon. masses, which they carry in their leathern sacks. From these they cut slices as they may need them. It is singular that even learned men have suffered themselves to hesitate about understanding these passages of the lit-rusalem was in the part of the country eral locust, when the fact that these are eaten by the orientals is so abundantly proved by the concurrent testimony of travellers. One of them says, they are brought to market on strings in all the cities of Arabia, and that he saw an Arab on mount Sumara, who had collected a sack full of them. They are prepared in different ways. An Arab in Egypt, of whom he requested that he would immediately eat locusts in his presence, threw them upon the glowing coals; and after he supposed they were 5. Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem. All Judea. Many people from Judea. It does not mean that literally all the people went, but that great multitudes went. It was general. Je. called Judea. Judea was situated on the west side of the Jordan. See Note Matt. ii. 22. Region about Jordan On the east and west side of the river. Near to Jordan. 6. Were baptized. The word bap tize signifies originally to tunge, to dye. to stain, as those who dye clothes. It here means to cleanse or wash any thing by the application of water. See Note Mark vii. 4. Washing, or ablution, was much in use among the Jews, as one of the rites of their religion. Num Pharisees and Sadducees come to his | baptism, he said unto them, O genera xix. 7. Heb. ix. 10. It was not customary, however, among them to baptize those who were converted to the Jewish religion until after the Babylonish captivity. At the time of John, and for some time previous, they had been accustomed to administer a rite of baptism, or washing, to those who became proselytes to their religion; that is, who were converted from being Gentiles. This was done to signify that they renounced the errors and worship of the Pagans, and as significant of their becoming pure by embracing a new religion. It was a solemn rite of washing, significant of cleansing from their former sins, and purifying them for the peculiar service of Jehovah. John found this custom in use; and as he was calling the Jews to a new dispensation, to a change in their form of religion, he administered this rite of baptism, or washing, to signify the cleansing from their sins, and adopting the new dispensation, or the fitness for the pure reign of the Messiah. They applied an old ordinance to a new purpose. As it was used by John it was a significant rite, or ceremony, intended to denote the putting away of impurity, and a purpose to be pure in heart and life. The Hebrew word (Tabal) which is rendered by the word baptize, occurs in the Old Testament in the following places, viz: Lev. iv. 6; xiv. 6, 51. Num. xix. 18. Ruth ii. 14. Ex. xii. 22. Deut. xxxiii. 24. Eze. xxiii. 15. Job ix. 31. Lev. ix. 9. 1 Sam. xiv. 27. 2 Kings v. 14; viii. 15. Gen. xxxvii. 31. Joshua iii. 15. It occurs in no other places; and from a careful examination of these passages, its meaning among the Jews is to be derived. From these passages it will be seen that its radical meaning is not to sprinkle, or to immerse. It is to dip, commonly for the purpose of sprinkling, or for some other purpose. Thus, to dip the finger, i. e. a part of the finger, in blood -enough to sprinkle with. Lev. iv. 6. To dip a living bird, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop, in the blood of the bird that was killed, for the purpose of sprinkling; where it could not be that all these should be immersed in the blood of a single bird. To dip hyssop in the water, to sprinkle with. Num. xix. 18. To dip a portion of bread in vinegar. Ruth ii. 14. To dip the feet in oil· -an emblem of plenty. Deut. xxxiii. 24. To dye, or stain. Eze. xxiii 15. To plunge into a ditch, so as tc defile the clothes. Job ix. 31. To dip the end of a staff in honey. 1 Sam. xiv. 27. To dip in Jordan-a declaration respecting Naaman the Syrian. 2 Kings v. 14. The direction of the prophet was to wash himself. ver. 10. This shows that he understood washing and baptizing to mean the same thing. To dip a towel, or quilt, so as to spread it on the face of a man to smother him. 2 Kings viii. 15. In none of these cases can it be shown that the meaning of the word is to immerse entirely. But in nearly all the cases, the notion of applying the water to a part only of the person or object, though it was by dipping, is necessarily to be supposed. In the New Testament the word, in various forms, occurs eighty times; fifty-seven with reference to persons. Of these fifty-seven times, it is followed by "in" (v) 18 times, as in water, in the desert, in Jordan; 9 times by "into" (as), as into the name, &c., into Christ; once it is followed by En (Acts ii. 38.) and twice by "for" (utteg). 1 Cor. xv. 29. The following remarks may be made in view of the investigation of the meaning of this word. 1st. That in baptism it is possible, perhaps probable, that the notion of dipping would be the one that would occur to a Jew. 2d. It would not occur to him that the word meant of necessity to dip entirely, or completely to immerse. 3d. The notion of washing would be the one which would most readily occur, as connected with a religious rite. See the cases of Naaman, and Mark vii. 4. (Greek.) 4th. It cannot be proved from an examination of the passages in the Old and New Testaments, that the idea of a complete immersion ever was connected with the word, or that it ever in any case occurred. If they went into the water, still it is not proved by that, that the only mode of baptism was by immersion, as it might have been by pouring, though they were in the water. 5th. It is not positively enjoined anywhere in the New Testament that the only mode of baptism shall be by an entire submersion of the body under water. Without tion of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? a Is 59.5. c.12.34. 23.33. Lu.3.7. b Je.51.6. Ro.1.18. such a precept, it cannot be made obligatory on people of all ages, nations, and climes, even if it were probable that in the mild climate of Judea it was the usual mode. The river Jordan is the eastern boundary of Palestine or Judea. It rises in mount Lebanon, on the north of Palestine, and runs in a southerly direction, under ground, for thirteen miles, and then bursts forth with a great noise at Cesarea Philippi. It then unites with two small streams, and runs some miles farther, and empties into the lake MeFrom this small lake it flows 13 miles, and then falls into the lake Gennesareth, otherwise called the sea of Tiberias, or the sea of Galilee. Through the middle of this lake, which is 15 miles long and from 6 to 9 broad, it flows undisturbed, and preserves a southerly direction for about 70 miles, and then falls into the Dead Sea. rom. The Jordan, at its entrance into the Dead Sea, is about ninety feet wide. It flows in many places with great rapidity, and when swollen by rains pours like an impetuous torrent. It formerly regularly overflowed its banks in time of harvest, that is, in March, in some places six hundred paces. Josh. iii. 15. 1 Chron. xii. 15. These banks are covered with small trees and shrubs, and afford a convenient dwelling for wild beasts. Allusion is often made to these thickets in the sacred scriptures. Jer. xlix. 19; 1.44. 7. Pharisees and Sadducees. The Jews were divided into three great sects. the Pharisees; the Sadducees; and the Essenes. In addition to these, some smaller sects are mentioned in the New Testament, and by Josephus: the Herodians, probably political friends of Herod; the Galileans, a branch of the Pharisees; and the Therapeutæ, a branch of the Essenes, but converts from the Greeks. The principal of these sects are supposed to have originated about 150 years before Christ, as they are mentioned by Josephus at about that time in his history. Of course nothing is said of them in the Old Testament, as that was finished 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 1 or, answerable to amendment of life. about 400 years before the Christian era. I. THE PHARISEES were the most numerous and wealthy sect of the Jews. They derived their name from the Hebrew word Pharash, which signifies to set apart, or to separate, because they separated themselves from the rest of their countrymen, and professedly devoted themselves to peculiar strictness in religion. Their leading tenets were the following:-that the world was gov erned by fate, or by a fixed decree of God; that the souls of men were immortal, and were either eternally happy or miserable beyond the grave; that the dead would be raised; that there were angels, good and bad; that God was under obligation to bestow peculiar favor on the Jews; and that they were justified by the merits of Abraham or by their own conformity to the law. They were proud, haughty, self-right eous, and held the common people in great disrespect. John vii. 49. They sought the offices of the state, and af fected great dignity. They were os tentatious in their religious worship, praying in the corners of the streets, and seeking publicity in the bestowment of alms. They sought principally external cleanliness; and dealt much in ceremonial ablutions and washing. Some of the laws of Moses they maintained very strictly. In addition to the written laws, they held to a multitude which they maintained had come down from Moses by tradition. These they felt themselves as much bound to observe as the written law. Under the influence of these laws, they washed themselves before meals with great scrupulousness; they fasted twice a week-on Thursday, when they supposed Moses ascended mount Sinai, and on Monday, when he descended; they wore broad phylacteries, and en larged the fringe or borders of their garments; they loved the chief rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues. They were in general a corrupt, hypocritical, office seeking, haughty class of men. There are, however, some honorable exceptions 9 And think not to say within | yourselves, We have Abraham to recorded. Acts v. 34. Perhaps also, Mark xv. 43. Luke ii. 25; xxiii. 51. John xix. 38. 39-42, iii. 1. vii. 50. II. THE SADDUCEES are supposed to have taken their name from Sadok, who flourished about 260 years before the Christian era. He was a pupil of Antigonus Sochæus, president of the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. He had taught the duty of serving God disinterestedly, without the hope of reward, or the fear of punishment. Sadok, not properly understanding the doctrine of his master, drew the inference that there was no future state of rewards or punishments; and on this belief he founded the sect. The other notions which they held, all to be traced to this leading doctrine, were: 1st. That there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit (Matt. xxii. 23. Acts xxii. 8); and that the soul of man perishes with the body. 2d. They rejected the doctrine of fate. 3d. They rejected all traditions, and professed to receive only the books of the Old Tes tament. They were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but their want of numbers was compensated, in some degree, by their wealth and standing in society. Though they did not generally seek office, yet several of them were advanced to the high-priesthood. III. THE ESSENES, a third sect of the Jews, are not mentioned in the New Testament. They differed from both the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were Jewish monks or hermits, passing their time little in society, but mostly in places of obscurity and retirement. It is not probable, therefore, that our Saviour often, if ever, encountered them; and this, it is supposed, is the reason why they are not mentioned in the New Testament. company, except on the Sabbath, when they partook of their coarse fare, bread and salt only, together. They prac tised dancing in their worship. Few of them were married; they were opposed to oaths; and asserted that slavery was repugnant to nature. In regard to doctrine, they did not differ materially from the Pharisees, except that they objected to the sacrifices of slain animals, and of course did not visit the temple, and were not, therefore, likely to come into public contact with the Saviour. They perpetuated their sect by proselytes, and by taking orphan children to train up. The other sects of the Jews were too insignificant to demand any particu. lar notice here. It may be said of the Jews generally that they possessed lit tle of the spirit of religion; that they had corrupted some of the most impor tant doctrines of the Bible; and that they were an ignorant, proud, ambitious, and sensual people. There was great propriety, therefore, in John's proclaiming the necessity of repentance. Generation of vipers. Vipers are a species of serpents. They are from two to five feet in length, and about an inch thick, with a flat head. They are of an ash or yellowish color, speckled with long brown spots. There is no serpent that is more poisonous than their bite. The person bitten swells up almost immediately, and falls down dead. See Acts xxviii. 6.-The word serpent, or viper, is used to denote both cunning and malignancy. In the phrase, be ye wise as serpents, it means be pru dent, or wise, referring to the account in Genesis iii. 1—6. Among the Jews the serpent was regarded as the symbol of cunning, circumspection, and prudence. He was so regarded in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the phrase They were a contemplative sect, generation of vipers," Matt. xii. 34 having little to do with the common bu- the viper is the symbol of wickedness, siness of life. The property which they of envenomed malice-a symbol drawn possessed they held in common. They from the venom of the serpent. It is denied themselves generally of the not quite certain in which of these senses usual comforts of life, and were ex- the phrase is used in this place; proba ceedingly strict in the observance of the bly to denote their malignancy and duties of religion. They were ge e- wickedness. See Matt._xii. 34; xxiii. rally more pure than the rest of the 33. TWrath to come. John expresses Jews, and appear to have been ar an- his astonishment that sinners so hard. ambitious, a modest, and retirin; ortened and so hypocritical as they were of people. The two sexes wert rot in should have been induced to flee from our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. coming wrath. The wrath to come means the divine indignation, or the punishment that will come on the guilty. See 1 Thess. i. 10, 2; i. 8, 9. 8. Bring forth, therefore, fruits, &c. That is, the proper fruits of reformation, the proper evidence that you are sincere. Do not bring your cunning and dissimulation to this work; carry not your hypocrisy into your professed repentance; but evince your sincerity by forsaking sins, and thus give evidence that this crowding to Jordan is not some act of dissimulation. No discourse could have been more appropriate or more cutting. Fruits. Conduct. See Matt. vii. 16-19. ¶ Meet for repentance. Fit for repentance; appropriate to it-the proper expression of repentance. 9. And think not to say, &c. They regarded it as sufficient righteousness that they were descended from so holy a man as Abraham. They deemed it as such an honor that it would go far to justify all his descendants. John viii. 33-37, 53. John assured them that this was a matter of small consequence in the sight of God. Of the very stones of the Jordan he could raise up children to Abraham. The meaning seems to be this: God, from these stones, could more easily raise up those who should be worthy children of Abraham, or be like him, than simply, because you are descendants of Abraham, make you, who are proud and hypocritical, subjects of the Messiah's kingdom. Or, mere nativity, or the privileges of birth, avail nothing where there is not righteousness of life. Some have supposed, however, that by these stones he meant the Roman soldiers, or the heathen, who might also have attended on his ministry; and that God could of them raise children to Abraham. 10. The axe is laid at the root of the tree. Laying the axe at the root of a tree is intended to denote that the tree is to be cut down. It was not merely to be trimmed, to be cut about the limbs, but the very tree itself was to be struck. That is, a searching, trying kind of preaching has been commenced. A kingdom of justice is to be set up. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth Principles and conduct are to be investigated. No art, no dissimulations, are to be successful. Men are to be tried by their lives, not by birth, or profession. They who are not found to bear this test, are to be rejected. The very root shall feel the blow, and the fruitless tree shall fall. This is a beautiful and very striking figure of speech, and a very direct threatening of future wrath. John regarded them as making a fair and promising profession, as trees do in blossom. But he told them, also, that they should bear fruit as well as flowers. Their professions of repentance were not enough. They should show, by a holy life, that their profession was genuine. 11. Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. The word here translated shoes, has a signification different from what it has in our language. At first, in order to keep the feet from the sharp stones, or the burning sand, small pieces of wood were fastened to the soles of the feet, called sandals. Leather, or skins of beasts dressed, afterwards were used. The foot was not covered at all; but the sandal, or piece of leather, or wood, was bound by thongs. The following cuts will give an idea of the early form of the shoe, or sandal, and of the thongs or latchets by which they were bound; and will serve to explain this and other passages of the New Testament, when reference is made to them. The first is taken from ancient Egyptian monuments. We subjoin other forms of leather sandals, and such as are still in common use in many countries of the east. |