t That is, ' wonder.'— G.
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feasting, piped and danced, and at funerals and times of mourning did mourn and use some fitting ceremony. Now there were some among them that were froward, and would neither be content with mourning nor piping, and playing, and to these Christ compares these great doctors, the scribes and pharisees ; a froward generation, neither pleased with Saint John's austere course of life, nor with Christ's afiability and meek carriage, and thus he crosseth their proud, froward disposition. For the custom itself, for that it is only related, and no whit censured, therefore I forbear to speak further thereof, but come to the reddition* of the comparison.
Ver. 33. ' For John Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine ; and ye say, he hath a devil.'
Ver. 34. The Son of man is come eating and drinking ; and ye say. Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners ! '
Where observe God's gracious dealbuf ivith man. He useth all kind of means, sendeth men of several natures, austere John, and meek Christ, and they use all means to convince the judgment, all methods to work upon the memories, all reasons to work upon the affections and wills. He turns himself into all shapes to gain wretched man unto him.
Secondly, Observe the order God useth ; first, John, then Christ. John prepares the way, throwing down hills : ' 0 ye generation of vipers,' Mat. iii. 7. Oh, say they, this man is too harsh, I think he hath a devil. Then Christ comes with blessed : ' Blessed are the poor, blessed are you that weep,' &c.. Mat. v. 3, seq. So he sent the law first, then the gospel; first he threatens, then promises.
Thirdly, Observe that the manner of their teachinn is double, by doctrine and life, and these agree, wherein observe it is good that life and doctrine should suit ; for John's life was austere and retired, his doctrine was also tending to beat down the proud conceits of man. Christ came to all, conversed with all meekly and lovingly ; and the reason of God's making use of men of severe dispositions is, because of the different natures of men, whereof some can better relish one nature than another. Some love the hot and fiery nature, others delight in the meek spirit ; and though there be diversity of gifts, yet they come from the same Spirit. Even as the diverse smells of flowers comes from the same influence, and the diverse sounds in the organs comes from the same breath, so doth the Spirit diffuse itself diversely, as it meets with diverse natures. Yet all tendeth to the perfecting of one work. We may hence therefore gather, that to converse fruitfully and lovingly is to be preferred before austerity, and commendable above it, because it is the conversation of Christ himself.
And the papists shall never be able to prove their foolish austere vows of a solitary life, &c., to be preferred before communication and society, unless they will prove John better than Christ. And again, this should teach us to moderate our censures of the diverse natures and carriage of men, as knowing that God in wisdom hath appointed it for excellent use, and that all agree in the building up of the spiritual temple of the church.
In the next place, observe that ivhere grace doth not overpower nature, no means ivill prevail over the obdm'ate nature of man. Neither John nor Christ could work anything upon these Pharisees. Thus was it in the wilderness and Egypt. What admirable wonders did God work, yet how incredulous and stift'-necked were they ! And the reason is, God gave not a heart, and in the conversion of a sinner there must be another manner of * That is, 'rendering,' or application. — G.
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grace than only offering and exhortation to accept of Chist; nay, the Spirit itself must do moi'O than exhort, for it may lay open to us many motives, tell us of God's goodness, truth, and strength scaled to us; it may tell us of wrath and judgment, and on the other side of kingdoms, everlasting joys, perfection of happiness, yet all not work any remorse in the heart of man if the Spirit leaves him there. And the reason is, man is dead in sin by nature, and that ' strong man' having gotten'the possession, cannot be cast out but by the ' stronger man,' which must quicken and give power, that may change every part of the soul, the understanding, will, and affec- tions, else all means is to no purpose but for to make us unexcusable at the day of judgment. Hence therefore we mag see the shallowness of those that conceive of the word of God, as if it did only persuade the will. No ; it must alter the will and change it quite, else arguments are to no purpose ; and in the second place, it teacheth us to come to the ordinances idth holy hearts, begging God's power to soften our hard and stony hearts, and desiring him to join the powerful work of his Holy Spirit with the outward means, and that his word may be like to that word at the beginning, that no sooner commanded hght, but ' there was light.'