rule of Scripture, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." As Ohrist would be known by His works and doctrine, so must true Churches of Christ, and true ministers of Christ. When the dead in sin are not quickened, and the blind are not restored to sight, and the poor have no glad tidings proclaimed to them, we may generally sus- pect that Christ's presence is wanting. Where He is, He will be seen and heard. Where He is, there will not only be profession, forms, ceremonies, and a show of religion. There will be actual, yisible work in hearts and lives.
We should mark, lastly, in these verses, the solemn warning which our Lord gave to John^a diacipka. He knew the danger in which they were. He knew that they were disposed to question His claim to be the Messiah, because of His lowly appearance. They saw no signs of a king about Him, no riches, no royal apparel, no guards, no courtiers, and no crown. They only saw a man, to all appearance poor as any one of themselves, attended by a few fishermen and publicans. Their pride rebelled at the idea of such an one as this being the Christ ! It seemed incredible ! There must be some mistake I Such thoughts as these, in all probability, passed through their minds. Our Lord read their hearts, and dismissed them with a searching caution. "Blessed," He said, "is he that is not offended in me."
The warning is one that is just as needful now as it was when it was delivered. So long as the world stands, Christ and His Gospel will be a stumbling block to many. To hear that we are all lost and guilty sinners, and cannot save ourselves, — to hear that we must give
218 EXPosrroKY thoughts.
up our own righteousness, and trust in One who was crucified between two thieves,— ^to hear that we must be content to enter heaven side by side with publicans and harlots, and to owe all our salvation to free grace, — this is always offensive to the natural man. Our proud hearts do not like it. We are offended.
Let the caution of these verses sink down deeply into our memories. Let us take heed that we are not offend- ed. Let us beware of being stumbled, either by the humbling doctrines of the Gospel, or the holy practice which it enjoins on those who receive it. Secret pride is one of the worst enemies of man. It will prove at last to have been the ruin of thousands of souls. Thousands will be found to have had the offer of salvation, but to have rejected it. They did not like the terms. They would not stoop to " enter in at the strait gate.'* They would not humbly come as sinners to the throne of grace. In a word, they were offended. And then will appear the deep meaning of our Lord's words, "Blessed is he who shall not be offended in me.''
Notes. Lukb Vn. 18—23.
19. — [John cdUing unto him,., disciples sent them to Jesus!\ The reason why John the Baptist sent this message to our Lord, is explfdned by different commentators in widely different ways. Those who wish to see the subject fully discussed should read what Ghemnitius and Barradius say about it.
Some think that John sent this message at a time when his faith was failing. They think that like mauy other saints in the Bible, he had his moments of weakness, and that his im-
Srisonment, together with the fact that our Lord did nothing to eliver him, had made him begin to doubt whether Jesus was the Messiah. This explanation was maintained by Tertullian, but it is not satisfactory.
Some think that John sent his message not from unbelief, but . from a desiie to obtain information. He regarded himself as
LUKE, CHAP. VII. VEB. l8 — ^23. 219
deHvered to death, and on the brink of the grave. He desired to know whether he was to announce in the world beyond the grave that the Messiah was coming after him. This explanation seems so absurd that it needs no refutation, and were it not that it is maintained (according to Barradius,) by Jerome, Gregory the Great, and Beda, it would not be worth mentioning.
The most probable explanation is that which I have set forth in the exposition of the passage. John's message was not sent on his account, but on account of his disciples. It was not sent because his own faith was failing, but because he wished those he was about to leave behind him to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. — One argument in favour of this view is the great improbability that one so eminently taught of God as John was, and so singularly clear in his past testimony, would forget his fii*st faith and doubt whether Jesus was the Chidst. — ^Another, and far more powerful argument, is the strong language of commen- dation which our Lord uses about John the Baptist as soon as his messengers had left Him. His expressions are so peculiarly strong, that we might suppose they were specially intended to prevent any slur being thrown on John's character on account of his message. They look as if our Lord would have all men know that John's own faith never failed, and that he was the same man at the end of his course that he was at the beginning.
The view now set forth is maintained by Hilary, Augustine, Ghrysostom, Theophylact» and the great majority of the best commentators.
[He that should come.l This expression might be rendered more literally, ** the coming One." It seems to have been an expression specially applied to the Messiah. John iv. 25. and xi. 27. Ghemnitius says, that the word in Hebrew signifies not ' merely one who comes to a place, but one who comes to enter upon an office, and occupy a position.
IM). — [John Baptist hath sent usJ] It is very difficult to see why our English translators in this place have used the expression " John Baptist," and not " John the Baptist," as at verses 28 and 83. I can detect nothing in the Greek vei*sion, to warrant the omission of the word ** the."
2 1 . — \Infinnities,. .plagues,, ,evil spirits.] Let it be noted that evil spirits are here mentioned as an affliction distinct from any bodily ailments. Bishop Pearce remarks, " We may conclude that evil spirits are reckoned by St. Luke, (who speaks of dis- tempers with more accuracy than the other evangelists,) as things different from any disorders of the body included in the two former words."
[He gave sight.] There is something very peculiar in the Greek words so translated, which our version can hardly convey. It might be rendered^ " he made a present of seeing."
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