3. The soldiers —
[The grace of God, which nothing can withstand, had reached the hearts of some of these : and they too made simi- lar inquiries. To them also did the Baptist make a similar reply. Unfavourable as the life of a soldier is to the cultiva- tion of piety, he did not tell them to get their discharge, but cautioned them against the evils incident to their profession. From their very education and mode of life, they are apt to disregard the feelings of men, and to injure or insult those who do not immediately comply with their wishes. In that age and country, it was also common for them to turn informers, that by false accusation they might share the fines that might be levied, or obtain bribes for exercising a pretended forbear- ance. Discontent and mutiny too were evils to which they were in general prone.
Against all of these practices the Baptist warned them. He testified that all such things were evil, and that every person must abstain from them, if he would avoid the wrath which hangs over the head of every impenitent transgressor.
But neither should these cautions be limited to those who made the inquiry, nor to persons engaged in the military life : for the duties of peacefulness, equity, and contentment are applicable to every situation, and every age ]
That these answers may appear in their proper light, we shall proceed to shew, II. The suitableness of them to the occasion —
Certainly at first sight they appear defective, not to say, erroneous : for it never can be admitted for one moment that the correcting of those habits would procure everlasting salvation : such a reformation could make no atonement for their past sins, nor could it in any way supersede the necessity of believ- ing in Christ. To understand the matter aright, we must consider what the import of their inquiries was, and what was the Baptist's more immediate office. John had told them all to " bring forth, (the word means, do,) to do fruits meet for repentance." They immediately inquire, each for himself, what are the particular things which they must doh; that is, what they must do to evince the sincerity of their repent-
which may be considered as personal, we should be careful to make them with the utmost delicacy and tenderness. b Troirjaare icapTrovc — ft Trou'iaafiti'.