surpiise and partly complaint. In any case it show^s how little the balk of John's disciples understood that Jesus was really the Messiah promised in the prophecies. If they hid und-rstoo 1 it, they would surely neither have been surprised nor annoyed at Him for baptizing and becoming popular. They would rather have expected it and rejoiced at it. It is one among many proofs that ministers may be loved by their hearers, and may tell them the truth faithfully, and yet be utterly unable to make their hearers undei stand or believe. Few are like Andrew, and "follow Jesus," when their minister says, "Behold the Lamb." The most are as though they did not hear at all.
[All men come to him.] These words must doubtless be taken with qualification. The expression, "al men," only means, " many persons." We know as a fact that not all men came to Christ. Moreover, we must remember, that out of those who did come to Christ, very few believed. John says in his reply to his disciples, "No man receiveth his testimony." — Allowance must be made for the irritation under which John's disciples spoke. When men are vexed in spirit, by seeing their own party diminishing, they are often tempted to use exaggerated and incorrect expressions.
Hutcheson remarks on this verse, that " Carnal emulation is an old and great sin in the Church, and even among professors; it being the foul fruit of a carnal temper to look on the success of one man's gifts as the debasing of another's who is faithful, and to count the thriving of G-od's work in one minister's hand the disgracing of another who is not so much flocked to."
Cyril remarks on this verse, how admirably God can bring good out of apparent evil. Here, as in many cases, a carnal and unkind saying of John's disciples gives occasion to John's ad- mirable testimony about Christ.
27. — [John answered.. ..a man can receive nothing, &c.] This sentence is the statement of a general truth in religion. Success, promo- tion, and growth of influence are gifts which God keeps entirely in His own hands. If one faithful minister's popularity wanes, while another's popularity and influence over men's hearts in- crease, the thing is of God, and we must submit to His appoint- ment. (Psalm Ixxv. 6.)
The application of the sentence is not to Christ, as Chrysostom thought, but to John the Baptist himself, as Augustine thought. They are meant to imply, " I cannot command continued success in my ministry. I can only receive what God gives me. If He thinks fit to give any one more acceptance with men than myself, I cannot prevent it, and have no right to complain. All success is of God. All that I have had, at any period of my ministry, has been received, and none deserved." — To apply the sentence
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to our Lord, seems to me an unsatisfactory iaterpreta'ioa, and derogatory to the dignity of Christ's minis'ry. Those who take this view, would probably prefer the marginal reading of the word "receive," and would render it, "No man can take to himself anything." The sentence would then be like St, Paul's words to the Hebrews, " No man taketh this honour unro him- self, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Heb. v. 4.) But the translation, " receive," and the application to John the Baptist, appear to me more agreeable to the context, and the general spirit of John's reply. And although the word, a " man," ought not to have much s:ress laid upon it, I cannot help think- ing that John uses it intentionally, in order to point to himself. "A mere man like me can receive nothing but what is given him from heaven."
Lightfoot thinks that the Greek word rendered " receive " means " perceive," or "apprehend," and that John meant, " I see by this instance of yourselves, that no man can learn or under- stand anything, unless it be given him from heaven." He re'jards the sentence as John's rebuke to his disciples for incre- dulity and stupidity. I doubt myself whether the Greek word will bear the sense Lightfoot would put on it.
The expression " from heaven," is equivalent to saying " from God." See Dan. iv. 26; Luke xv. 21.
The whole verse is a most useful antidote to that jealousy which sometimes springs up in a minister's mind, when he sees a brother's ministry prospering more than his own.
28, — [le yourselves hear me witness^....! said, c&c] John here re- minds his disciples that he had repeatedly told them that he was not the Christ, and that he was only a forerunner sent before Him. They ought to have remembered this. If they had done so, they would not have been surprised at the rise and pro- gress of Christ's ministry, but would rather have expected Him 10 outshine and surpass their master, as a matter of course.
The verse is an instructive illustration of the forgetfulness of heareis. John's testimony to the dignity of Christ and His superiority to himself had been constantly repeated. But it had been all thrown away on his disciples, and when Christ began to receive greater honours than their master, and their own party began to grow smaller than that of Christ's disciples, they were offended. People soon forget what they do not like.
29. — [^He that hath....bride....hridegroom, (fee] In this verse John the Baptist explains the relative positions occupied by himself and Christ by a famihar illustration. In tracing it out, it is of great importance not to press the points of resemblance too far. Tho