be of whom it is written, Behold, I fend my messenger before thy face, which fhall prepare thy way before thee. In this and the foregoing verfe, Jefus fignified to the people, that as they had gone out to John under the character of a prophet, and had believed in him on the beft grounds, it was their duty to retain his doctrine in their minds, and to put it in practice through the whole courfe of their lives. 11. Verily I fay unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not rifen a * greater (Luke, prophet) than John the Baptift, notwithstanding, be that is leaft in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than be The leaft inspired teacher under the gospel difpenfation is a greater prophet than John. In this latter part of the Baptift's character, our Lord tacitly condemned his mistake with refpect to the gofpel difpenfation, which prompted him to fend the angry meflage mentioned above. Our Lord having thus spoken concerning John, commended the people, particularly the tax-gatherers, for having cheerfully fubmitted to him as a prophet fent from God. Luke vii. 29. And all the people that heard him, (viz. John) and the publicans, juftified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. These are not the evangelift's words, but Chrift's, as is plain from this, that the people could not now get baptifm from John, though our Lord's teftimony had induced them to believe in him, he being at *Ver. 11. Greater than John the Baptift.] Our Lord honoured the Baptift with the magnificent title of the greateft of all the prophets under the law, for four reafons: 1. He was the fubject of ancient prophecies, and had long been expected by the people of God, under the notion of Elias, a name given him by Malachi, because he was to poffefs the spirit and power of Elias. See on Luke i. 17. p. 9. Thus Messiah is called David, because he was to defcend from that prince, and enjoy his crown, Jer. xxx. 9. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. xxxvii. 24. Hof. iii. 5. 10. This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I fend my messenger before thy face, which, &c. 2. His conception and birth had been accompanied with miracles. 3. When the feason of his inspiration came, he was favoured with a clearer revelation concerning the Meffiah, than had been enjoyed by any of the prophets under the law. 4. By his fermons he prepared the Jews for receiving the gofpel, and consequently began that more excellent difpenfation. But though the Baptift thus excelled all the precedent prophets, the least infpired perfon in the kingdom of heaven, the leaft apoftle or preacher of the golpel, was a greater prophet than he, because, by conftantly attending on Jefus, they were much better acquainted with his character, difpofitions and doctrine, than the Baptift, who had only feen him tranfiently. Wherefore, in refpect of their perfonal knowledge of Mefliah, the apofties greatly excelled the Baptift. Farther, they were employed, not in making preparation for, but in erecting the Meffiah's kingdom; hence they were greater than the Baptift, in respect of the dignity of their office. Moreover, having gifts bestowed on them to fit them for that office, far fuperior to his, they were greater in respect of their illumination. They had the Spirit fo dwelling in them, that on all occafions they could declare the will of God infallibly, being, as it were, living oracles. To conclude, as they had likewife been the fubjects of ancient oracles, Acts ii. 16. they had long been expected by the people of God. at this time shut up in prifon. Our Lord's meaning was, that while John executed his miniftry, the people, particularly the publicans, justified God by receiving his baptifm; or, to express the matter differently, by believing on John, and repenting of their fins, they approved of, and complied with God's merciful counfel towards themselves, and fo vindicated the divine wisdom in fending him. See Matt. xi. 19. This fenfe is confirmed by the parallel paffage in Matthew, where our Lord expreffes himfelf fomewhat differently, but to the fame purpose as in Luke. It s Matt. xi. 12. And from the days of John the Baptift, until Bow, the kingdom of heaven, the difpenfation which admits all perfons equally, upon their faith and repentance, fuffereth violence, and the violent, the publicans believing, take it by force. 13. For all the prophets and the law prophefied until John. 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come. If you will believe it, this is Meffiah's fore-runner, whom Malachi predicted under the name of Elias Jefus added this particular concerning John, to prove his affertion in the 12th and 13th verses, concerning the abrogation of the Mofaical difpenfation at the appearing of John. He was Meffiah's fore-runner, and therefore the law began to wax old and vanish at his appearing. To make this connection the more plain, the Greek particle xa ought to be tranflated for, in which fenfe it is ufed often by the New Teftament writers. The meaning, therefore, of the whole paffage is this: Gentiles, tax-gatherers, foldiers, harlots, and others of the fame ftamp, perfons of the moft abandoned characters, whom ye look upon as having no right to become members of the Meffiah's kingdom, enter into it. And this ye think a violence done to the kingdom of heaven, but in reality it is not fo, because the law and the prophets, the difpenfation which makes a distinction between men, was virtually fet afide at the coming of John, in whofe miniftry the gospel began, the difpenfation which admits all perfons equally, upon their faith and repentance. For if ye will believe it, he is Meffiah's fore-runner, whom Malachi predicted under the name of Elias. The words with which our Lord clofed this branch of his difcourfe are remarkable: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." As Dr Clarke obferves, they are a ftrong and general appeal unto the reafon and understanding of all unprejudiced and impartial men, and an exhortation to them to use the powers of reafon and understanding which God hath given them. They are highly expreffive of the authority of the perfon who speaks, of the reasonableness, truth, and excellency of the thing that is spoken, and of the capacity which men have, and the obligations they are under, to hearken to and obey what is thus delivered unto them. Hence they are often used by Christ when he is fpeaking things of great importance, and which deferve the ferious confideration of mankind. Matt. xi. 15. He that that hath ears to bear, let him hear. Let him hear and understand, that the Mofaical difpenfation is drawing towards a conclufion, and that a new difpenfation is about to begin, into which perfons of all nations and characters fhall be received upon their faith and repentance, equally with the Jews. In the next place, Jefus reproved the Pharifees for their refifting the evidence of the Baptift's miffion. Luke vii. 30. But the Pharifees and lawyers rejected the counfel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. By calling the gospel the counsel of God, the grandest idea of it poffible is given. It is nothing lefs than the refult of the deep confideration and deliberation of God; for which reafon, the crime of mens rejecting it is very atrocious. But to fhew the Pharifees more plainly the perverfenefs of their difpofition, he told them they were like children at play, who never do what.. their companions defire them, being peevish and displeased with every thing. Matt. xi. 16. But whereunto fhall I liken this generation? (Luke, The Lord faid, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like?) It is like unto children fitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17. And faying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced, we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. The application of this proverb to the Pharifees, our Lord juftified by obferving, that the divine wifdom had tried every method proper for converting them, but in vain. For, firft of all, the Baptift was fent unto them in the ftern dignity of their ancient prophets, fo that it was natural to think they would have reverenced him. Nevertheless, they rejected him altogether. Such, it seems, was the pride and malice of the Pharifees, that when they found their own oftentatious and hypocritical mortifications utterly eclipfed by the real aufterities of this holy man's life, they impudently af firmed, that his living in deferts, his fhunning the company of men, the coarfenefs of his clothing, the abftemioufnefs of his diet, with the other feverities which he practifed, were all the effects of madness or religious melancholy. Matt. xi. 18. For * Jobn * Ver. 17. We have piped unto you.] In Judea it was ufual at feats to have mufic of an airy kind, accompanied with dancing, Luke xv. 25. and at funerals melancholy airs, to which were joined the lamentations of per fons hired for the purpose The children therefore in that country, imitating these things in their diverfions, while one band of them performed the mufical part, if the other happening to be froward would not anfwer them by dancing or lamenting, as the game dire&ed, it naturally gave occafion to the complaint, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced, &c. which at length was turned into a proverb The mourning airs in this proverb, fitly reprefent the feverity of the Baptift's manners, and the difagreeableness of the doctrine of repentance, which he preached. On the other hand, the cheerful airs beautifully reprefent our Lord's fweet difpos fition, affable converfation, and engaging method of giving inftruction; fo that every thing was tried that could poffibly have influence to bring the Jews to repent. 249 John came neither eating nor drinking, (Luke, neither eating bread nor drinking wine) and they fay, He bath a devil. This method of converting the Pharifees proving unfuccefsful, God fent his own Son in a more familiar manner. Jefus did not practise those mortifications which rendered the Baptift remarkable. He fared like other men, and went into mixed companies, not avoiding the fociety even of publicans and finners. But neither would they hear him; for notwithstanding he maintained the strictest temperance himfelf, and never encouraged the vices of others, either by diffimulation or example, they attributed that free way of living to a certain looseness of difpofition. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they fay, Behold a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and finners; * but wisdom is juftified of (Luke, all) her children. After reproving the Pharifees, Jefus denounced heavy judgments against Chorazin, Bethfaida, and Capernaum, cities which he had often bleffed with his prefence. For though they had heard him preach many awakening fermons, and feen him perform many aftonishing miracles, fuch as would have converted Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, heathen cities infamous for their impiety, contempt of religion, pride, luxury and debauchery; (fee Ifa. xxiii. Ezek. xxvi. xxvii. and xxviii. chapters) yet fo great was their obftinacy, that they perfifted in their wickednefs in fpite of all he had done to reclaim them. Matt. xi. 20. Then began be to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. 21. Wo unto thee, † Chorazin, wo unto thee, Bethfaida; for if the mighty works which were done in you, bad been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in fackcloth and afbes: would have exercised the deepest reVOL. II. pentance D Ver. 19. But wisdom is juflified of her children.] Elfner thinks this clause was spoken by the Pharifees, so would have it tranflated, the doctrine is condemned by its difciples. But though ropia may fignify a doctrine, and dxzin, being one of those words that have oppofite fenfes, may be tran flated is condemned, as well as is justified; yet it is more natural to take the fentence as our Lord's reflection on the conduct of the Pharifees. Wifdom is juftified of her children: all the methods of the divine providence, however offenfive they may be to wicked men, do fully approve themselves as wife to thofe who have any love of truth and goodness, procuring from them a cheerful fubmiffion, than which a more complete vindication of the divine difpenfations cannot be wifhed for from man. Jenfius, in Ferculɔ Literario, gives the words a different turn. By the children of wildom be understands the fruits, effects, and operations of wisdom, which in all cafes do moft undoubtedly justify it. But this fenfe of the word children, though it may occur in poetical compofitions, from whence alone Jenfius draws his proofs, is quite foreign to the facred writings. Matt. ver. 21. Chorazin, Bethfaida, and Capernaum.] Chorazin was a city of Galilee nigh to the lake. Jerome, in his book of Hebrew places, fays it was about two miles diftant from Capernaum. By geographers it is commonly placed between Capernaum and Bethfaida. For the fituation of Bethfaida, fee on Matt. xiv, 22. § 61. 5 pentance on account of their fins. For fackcloth and ashes were ufed by the Jews in token of the bittereft grief. See Ifa. Iviii. Jer vi. 26 Lam ii 10 Nor were thofe expreffions of grief and humiliation peculiar to the Jews. They were used by the Gentiles alfo, Jonah iii. 5. 6. 8. See on Matt. vi. 16. § 26.— Matt. xi. 22 But I fay unto you, It fhail be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you 23. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto beaven, fhalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. He mentions Capernaum feparately by itfelf, and laft of all, becaufe being the place of his ordinary refidence, it had been bleffed with more of his fermons and miracles than any other town. Nevertheless, it abounded with wickedness of all kinds, and therefore he compared it to that city which on account of the greatness of its crimes, had been the most terrible example of the divine difpleasure that ever the world had beheld. 24. But I fay unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. From this paffage we learn two important particulars. First, that the punishments to be inflicted upon wicked. men in the life to come, shall not be all equal, but in exact proportion to the demerit of the fins of each. Secondly, that great and fignal punishments befalling finners in this life, will not fkreen them from the wrath of God in the life to come. For Jefus Chrift the judge, here declares that Sodom, though burnt up by fire and brimstone from heaven, fhall fuffer fuch dreadful things, that in fpeaking of the pains of the damned, he mentions this city as an example of very great punishment. Thus Jefus reproved his countrymen who would not believe on him. It seems they were but a few, and those generally the lower fort of people, who embraced his doctrine, and affifted him in erecting his kingdom; nor was his religion foon to meet with a better reception in the other countries where it was to be preached; circumftances which in the eyes of common wisdom were melancholy and mortifying. But our Lord forefaw, that by the direction of God these very circumftances would become the noblest demonftrations of his perfonal dignity, the clearest proofs * Ver. 23. Brought down to hell, &c.] This is not to be taken literally; for as the exaltation of Capernaum into heaven was not a local, but a metaphorical exaltation, denoting the greatness of the privileges with which it was bleffed, fo its being thruff down into hell, (adns) fignifies the greatnefs of the judgments which were to fall upon it. Our Lord denounced woes againit the three cities a fecond time, when he was going to exercile his ministry in Judea, on which occafion the woes were fitly repeated, because they intimated that it was the incorrigible obitinacy of the inhabitants of thofe cities which had prevented their profiting by his inftructions, and which had made him refolve to leave their country. |