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to his baptism, he said unto them, | warned you to flee from the wrath O generation' of vipers, who hath to come?

1 Ch. xii. 34; xxiii. 33. Isa lix. 5 Luke iii. 7.

Mount Sinai, and on Monday when he descended. They wore broad phylacteries, and enlarged 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 honourable exceptions recorded, Acts v. 34. Perhaps also, Mar. xv. 43; Luke ii. 25; xxiii. 51; John. xix. 38.

II. The Sadducees are supposed to have taken their name from Sadok, who flourished about two hundred and sixty years before the christian era. He was a pupil of Antigonus Sochæus, president of the Sanhedrim, or Great Council of the nation, who 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: 1. That there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit, Matt. xxii. 23; Acts xxiii. 8; and that the soul of man perishes with the body. 2. They rejected the doctrine of fate. 3. They rejected all traditions, and professed to receive only the books of the Old Testament.

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, encountered them, if he ever did; and this, it is supposed, is the reason why they are not mentioned in the New Testament.

2 Jer. li. 6. Rom. i. 18.

They were a comtemplative sect, having little to do with the common business of life. The property which they possessed they held in common. They denied themselves generally the usual comforts of life, and were exceedingly strict in the observance of the duties of religion. They were generally more pure than the rest of the Jews, and appear to have been an unambitious, a modest, and retiring sort of people. The two sexes were not in company, except on the sabbath, when they partook of their coarse fare, bread and salt only, together. They practised 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 particular notice here. It may be said of the Jews generally that they possessed little of the spirit of religion; that they had corrupted some of the most important 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.

7. 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 colour, speckled with long brown spots. There is no serpent that is more poisonous in its bite than vipers. The person bitten swells 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, "Wise as serpents," Matt. x. 16, the meaning is, be prudent, or wise, referring to the account in Gen. iii. 1-6. Among the Jews the serpent was regarded as the symbol

8 Bring forth therefore fruits! meet for repentance.1

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones3 to raise up children unto Abraham.

1 Or, answerable to amendment of life. Jer. vii, 3-7. xxvi. 13. Rom. iv. 4. 3 Isa. lxiii. 16.

of cunning, circumspection, and prudence. He was so regarded in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the phrase, “Generation of vipers," Matt. xii. 34, the viper is the symbol of wickedness, of envenomed malice, a symbol drawn from the venom of the serpent. It is not quite certain in which of these senses the phrase is used in this place; probably to denote malignancy and wickedness. See Matt. xii. 34; xxiii. 33. Wrath to come. John expresses his astonishment that sinners so hardened and so hypocritical as they were should have been induced to flee from coming wrath. The wrath to come means the divine indignation, or the punishment that will come on the guilty. See 1 Thess. i. 10; ii. 16; 2 Thess. 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 honour 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

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is5 hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that

4 Luke xiii. 6, 7. 5 John xv. 6. 6 Luke iii. 16. Acts xix. 4.

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 up children to Abraham.

10. The axe is laid at the root of the trees. 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. Principles and conduct are to be investigated. No art, no dissimulation, will 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 direct threatening of future wrath. John regarded the people before him 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,

cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand,

1 Isa. iv. 4 Zech. xiii. 9. Mal. iii. 2-4. Arts i. 5.

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 people put off these sandals when they entered a house, and put them on when they left it. To loose and bind on sandals, on such occasions, was the business of the lowest servants; and their office was, to loose and carry about their masters' sandals. The expression here, then, was an expression of great humility; and John says that he was not worthy to be the servant of him who should come after him. ¶ Shall baptize you. Shall send upon you the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is frequently represented as being poured out upon his people. Prov. i. 23; Isa. xliv. 3; Joel ii. 28, 29; Acts ii. 17, 18. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same, therefore, as the sending of his influences to convert, purify, and guide the soul. The Holy Ghost. The third person of the adorable Trinity, whose office it is to enlighten, renew, sanctify, and comfort the soul. He was promised by the Saviour to convince of sin; John xvi. 8. To enlighten or teach the disciples; John xiv. 26; xvi. 13. To comfort them in the absence of the Saviour; John xiv. 18; xvi. 7. To change the heart; Titus iii. 5. To be baptized with the Holy Ghost means that the Messiah would send upon the world a far more powerful and mighty influence than had attended the preaching of John. Many more would be converted. A mighty change would take place. His ministry would not affect the external life only, but the heart, the motives, the soul; and produce rapid and permanent changes in the lives of men. See Acts ii. 17, 18. With fire. This expression has been very variously understood. Some have supposed that John refers to the afflictions and persecutions with which men would

and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff 3 with unquenchable fire.

13 Then cometh Jesus from

Mal. iii. 2. 3. 3 Psa. i. 4. Mal. iv. 1. Mark ix. 44.

be tried under the gospel; others, that the word fire means judgment or wrath. A part of his hearers he would baptize with the Holy Ghost, but the wicked with fire and vengeance. Fire is a symbol of vengeance. See Isa. v. 24; lxi. 2; lxvi. 24. If this be the meaning, as seems to be probable, then John says that the ministry of the Messiah would be far more powerful than his was. It would be more searching and trying; and they who were not fitted to abide the test, would be cast into eternal fire. Some have supposed, however, that by fire, here, he intends to denote that the Messiah's ministry would be refining, powerful, purifying, as fire is sometimes an emblem of purity; Mal. iii. 2. It is difficult to ascertain the precise meaning further than that his ministry would be very trying, purifying, searching. titudes would be converted; and those who were not true penitents would not be able to abide the trial, and should be driven away.

Mul

12. His fan. It seems probable that this was some portable instrument, made light, so that it might be easily carried about. The fan is a well-known agricultural instrument which was used by the Jews, as it is at the present day, to separate grain from the chaff. The usual custom was to throw the grain in the air by means of a large shovel, and suffer the wind to drive the chaff away, but it is probable that the fan was often employed. See my Note on Isa. xxx. 24. His floor. The threshing floor was an open space, or area, in the field, usually on an elevated part of the land. Gen. 1. 10. It had no covering or walls. It was a space of ground thirty or forty paces in diameter, and made smooth by rolling it, or treading it hard. A high place was selected for the purpose of keeping it dry, and for the convenience of winnowing the grain by the wind. The grain was usually trodden out by oxen. Sometimes it was beaten with flails, as

Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be unto him, Suffer it to be so now: baptized of him. for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

16 And Jesus, when he was bap

15 And Jesus answering said tized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were

1 Mark 1. 9. Luke iii. 21.

The

with us; and sometimes with a sharp
threshing instrument, made to roll over
the grain, and to cut the straw at the same
time. Isa. xli. 15. After being threshed
it was winnowed. The grain was then
separated from the dirt and coarse chaff
by a sieve, and then still further cleansed
by a fan, an instrument to produce an
artificial wind. This method is still prac-
tised in eastern nations. ¶ Shall purge.
Shall cleanse, or purify. Shall remove
the chaff, &c. The garner.
granary, or place to deposit the wheat.
Unquenchable fire. Fire that shall not
be extinguished, that will utterly consume
it. By the floor, here, is represented
the Jewish people. By the wheat, the
righteous, or the people of God. By the
chaff, the wicked. They are often repre-
sented as being driven away like chaff
before the wind. Job xxi. 18; Psa. i. 4;
Isa. xvii. 13; Hos. xiii. 3. They are also
represented as chaff which the fire con-
sumes. Isa. v. 24. This image is often
used to express judgments. Isa. xli. 15.
"Thou shalt thresh the mountains and
beat them small, and shalt make the hills
as chaff." By the unquenchable fire is
meant the eternal suffering of the wicked
in hell. Matt. xxv. 41; Mark ix. 48;
2 Thess. i. 8, 9.

14. John forbad him. Refused him. I have need. It is more fit that I should be baptized with thy baptism, the Holy Ghost, than that thou shouldest be baptized in water by me. I am a sinner, and unworthy to administer baptism to the Messiah.

15. Thus it becometh us. It is fit and proper. And though you may feel yourself unworthy, yet it is proper it should be done. All righteousness. There was no particular precept in the Old Testament requiring this, but he chose to give the sanction of his example to the baptism of John, as to a divine ordinance. The phrase, all righteousness, here, is the same as a righteous institution or appointment.

Jesus had no sin. But he was about to enter on his great work. It was proper that he should be set apart by his forerunner, and show his connexion with him, and give his approbation to what John had done. Also, he was baptized that occasion might be taken, at the commencement of his work, for God publicly to declare his approbation of him, and his solemn appointment to the office of the Messiah.

16. Out of the water. This shows that he had descended to the river. It literally means, he went up directly from the water. The original does not imply that they had descended into the river. ¶ The heavens were opened unto him. This was done while he was praying. Luke iii. 21. The sacred ordinance of baptism he attended with prayer. The ordinances of religion will be commonly ineffectual without prayer. If in those ordinances we look to God, we may expect he will bless us; the heavens will be opened; light will shine upon our path; and we shall meet with the approbation of God. The expression, the heavens were opened, is one that commonly denotes the appearance of the clouds when it lightens. The heavens appear to open, or give way. Something of this kind probably appeared to John at this time. The same appearance took place at Stephen's death. Acts vii. 56. The expression means, he was permitted to see far into the heavens beyond what the natural vision would allow. To him. Some have referred this to Jesus, others to John. It probably refers to John. See John i. 33. It was a testimony given to John that this was the Messiah. He John saw. The spirit of God. See v. 11. This was the third person of the Trinity, descending upon him in the form of a dove. Luke iii. 22. The dove, among the Jews, was the symbol of purity or harmlessness, Matt. x. 16, The form and of swiftness, Psa. lv. 6.

saw.

opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and lighting upon
him :

1 Isa. xi. 2; xlii. 1; lxi. 1. John iii. 34.

chosen here was doubtless an emblem of the innocence, meekness, and tenderness of the Saviour. The gift of the Holy Spirit, in this manner, was the public approbation of Jesus, John i. 33, and a sign of his being set apart to the office of the Messiah. We are not to suppose that there was any change wrought in the moral character of Jesus, but only that he was publicly set apart to his work, and solemn ly approved by God in the office to which he was appointed.

17. A voice from heaven. A voice from God. Probably this was heard by all who were present. This voice, or sound, was repeated on the mount of transfiguration. Matt. xvii. 5. Luke ix. 35, 36. 2 Pet. i. 17. It was also heard just before his death, and was then supposed by many to be thunder. John vi. 28-30. It was a public declaration that Jesus was the Messiah. My beloved Son. This is the title which God himself gave to Jesus. It denotes the nearness of his relation to God, and the love of God for him. Heb. i. 1. It implies that he was equal with God. John x. 29-33; xix. 7. Heb. i. 5, 6, 7, 8. The term Son is expressive of love; of the nearness of his relation to God, and of his dignity and equality with God. Am rell pleased. Am ever delighted. It implies that he was constantly or uniformly well pleased with him; and in this solemn and public manner he expressed his approbation of him as the Redeemer of the world.

The baptism of Jesus has usually been considered a striking manifestation of the doctrine of the trinity, or the doctrine that there are three persons in the divine nature. 1. There is the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, baptized in the Jordan, elsewhere declared to be equal with God, John x. 30. 2. The Holy Spirit descending in a bodily form upon the Saviour. The Holy Spirit is also equal with the Father, or is also God, Acts v. 3, 4. 3. The Father, addressing the Son, and dec'aring that he was well picased with him. It is impossible to

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

John v. 36, 37; xii. 28-30. 3 Psa. ii. 7 Luke ix. 35. Eph. i. 6. 2 Pet. i. 17.

explain this transaction consistently in any other way than by supposing that there are three equal persons in the divine nature or essence, and that each of these sustains important parts in the work of redeeming men.

In the preaching of John the Baptist we are presented with an example of a faithful minister of God. Neither the wealth, dignity, nor power of his auditors, deterred him from fearlessly declaring the truth respecting their character. He called things by their right names. He did not apologize for their sin. He set it fairly before his hearers, and denounced the appropriate curse. So should all ministers of the gospel. Rank, riches, and power should have nothing to do in shaping and gauging their ministry. In respectful terms, but without shrinking, all the truths of the gospel must be spoken, or woe will follow the ambassador of Christ.

In John we have also an example of humility. Blessed with great success; attended by the great and noble, and with nothing but principle to keep him from turning it to his advantage; he still kept himself out of view, and pointed to a far greater Personage at hand. So should every minister of Jesus, however successful, keep the Lamb of God in his eye, and be willing, nay he should rejoice to lay all his success and honours at his feet.

Everything about the work of Jesus was wonderful. No person had before come into the world under such circumstances. God would not have attended the commencement of his life with such wonderful events if it had not been of the greatest moment to our race, and if he had not possessed a dignity above all prophets, kings, and priests. was the Redeemer of men, the mighty God, the Father of eternity, the Prince of peace, Isa. ix. 6, and it was proper that a voice from heaven should declare it, that the angels should attend him, and the Holy Ghost signalize his bap

He

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