Ic is nor much material, whether we underſtand thefe words, as the words of the Evangelif concerning John, as it ſhould ſeem by ar. 1.3. and Luk. 3. 4 or the words of Zobn himſelt; tor he thus ſpake, Fob. x. 23: As the words of the Propret, they are found, I1/z. 40. 3- the words are judged Literally, bur Typically to concern Cyrizs and Darirs; and either theſe Princes, who were inſtrumencal in the reſtoring of the Jews to their Liberty, from che Caprivicy of B.zbylon; or choſe Prophets who encouraged them to rheir retvern-; or up9a their return , to build che Temple and City. Bur they are confirmed by all the Four Evangeliſts, Mar. 1.3. Lik. 3.4. 7oh. 1.23. to have a ſpecial Relation alfo ro Fohn the B.rpri7,, who was to come more immediately before Chriſt, and wich the Fervency, 'and in the Spirit of Elias, Luk.1.17. cry- ing , Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ſtraight. As the Harbingers of great Princes are ſent before them, to call ro Perſons , to remove things out of the way which may hinder cheir tree paſſage; ſo John was ſent before this great King n Zion, now coming forch to ſhew himſelf, and ro ſer up is King- dom in the World, to cry fervently to all People by a true and timely Repenrance, to caft off choſe Sintul Courſes, and to reject thoſe Falſe Opinions,of which they were poſleſſed ; rhe holding of and ro which, might hinder the Progreſs of this Spiritual Kingdom. $
4 And the * ſame John had his raiment of Camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his
meat was locuſts and wild honey. |
There are great and infignificant Diſputes , about rhe Habit and the Diet of John the Baptit, The Evangeliſts doubrleſs de- ſighed no more , than to ler us know, that Fohn BaptiSt's Habit was nor of ſoft Raiment, like thoſe who are in Princes Houſes, but a plain Country Habit, ſuired to the Place 1n which he lived and his Diet plain, ſuch as the Country afforded, In vain there- fore do ſome contend that John wore watered Stuff , fine and ſplendid, as Art in our days hath improved Came!'s Hair and others as vainly contend, thar he went in a Camel's Skin, raw and undreſfs'd : Bur he was habited ina plain Sute of Came!'s Hair, ſuch as ordinary Perſons of that Country uſed; or elſe ſuch a rouzh Garment as is mentioned Zach.13. 4. uſed by the Prophets. Elijah had much ſuch an Habit, 2 King. 1.8. There is likewiſe a variety of Opinions abour theſe Locuſts, which John did cat; the moſt probable is, that they were true Locuſts; for Locſts mizht be earen, Levit. 11.22. Nor is it to be thought that Fobn did eat nothing elſe; all that is intended is, to ler us know that Fohn was a Man not at all curious as to his Meat or Cloaths, bur was habited plainly, and fared ordinarily , as che Men of thac Country fared ; if there were any Difference in his Habir, 1t was ro Proportion himſelf to Elijah , and the Habit of Prophets. In this the Evangeliſt teacheth us whar the Miniſters of the Goſpel ſhould be, and do; they ſhould be Men contemning the Gaw- dry and Delicacies of the Worid, and by their Habit and Diet, as well as other things, ſer an Example of Severity and Gravity to others.
5 * Then went out to him Jeruſalem, and all Ju- dea, and all the region round about Jordan.
The Preacher being deſcribed , the Evangeli$t proceedeth to tell us what Auditors he had. The term A// here twice repeated, is enough to ler us know, that ir is often in Scriprure ſignifica- tive, no further than Many ; for it cannot be imagined , that every individual Perſon in Feruſalem, and the Region abouc For- dan, went to hear ohn the Bapti$}, bur a grear many did. It 15 not to be admired, rhat there wenr out ſuch a Concourſe of Peo- ple ro hear Fohn the Bapti, 1. If it be true, that from Ezra's rime till now, no Propher had appeared : Our Saviour ſpeaking of John, What went you out for to ſee? A Prophet ? Seems to hinr, rhart a Prophet was a great Rarity amongſt them. 2. If we con- ſider the Severity of his Life, Our Saviour faith, He came neither eating or drinking; that is, as other Men. 3. If we conſider the New DoGrine he brought, and his Fervency in the preſſing ir, he came to Preachthe eſtas , whom the Fews had long ex- pected; to tell them his Kingdom was at hand. 4. Eſpecially if we conſider the new Rite of Baptizing , which he brought 10. For admict their Waſhing of Proſelytes in uſe before, yer he Bap- tized Jews. He was ſent to Baptize with Water, Joh. 1.33. So as from his time the Inſtitution of the Sacrament of Baptiſm muſt be dared, and he did Baptize many.
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confe{ling their fins.
A great part of thoſe who went out to hear Jhn were Bapti- zed, that 1s, Dipped 1a Fordan; bur from hence it will nor fol- low, that Dipring is Eflential ro Baptiſm : The Waſhing of the Soul with the Blood of Chriſt ( rhe thing tignified by Baptiſm) being exprefied by ſprizbling or pouring Water, as well as by Dip- pinz , or being buried in Water, Ia. 44. 3. Ezek. 35. 25. Colofl. 2.12, Whether they confeſſed their Sins Man by Man, by word of Mouth, or by ſubmitting to the Doftrine of the Goſpel decla- red, their Renupciation of the Righreouſneſs of the Law, and their Engagement to an Holy Life, is not exprefſed. Bur it is . Mmnoft certain, that a Profeſſion of Faich and Repentance, was or-
St MATTHEW.
dinatily required beforg the Baptiſm of adult Perſons. It may be ;