ic 15 no wonder, that there was ſuch an Heat kindled in the Sauls of People, upon 7ohn the Baptifs coming; tor they underſtocd c ar Chriſt rypified in the Law, and only foreroid by the Prophets, was now come. So as the Ceremmmial Law from his vme bL2zan ro die, and ul che Prophecies of Chriſt in the Pro- }::rs 26.4% Then to have tneir Complement, Fon ſhewed them wich his einger, him who betcre had been only darkly revealed © under Types and Figures, and in the Prophecies of the Prophets : & Men came to ſee that they had nor hoped, or waited in vain for = the Salvation of Tjrael. { Propheſied, ). in this Verſe, ſignifies, made E 4gah Revelations of Chris, and the Kingdom of Heaven.
14 And if ye will receive z7, this is Elias which was tor to come.
God had told the Jews, Mal. 4, 5, 5. that He would ſend them Einih the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Ligd. And he ſhall turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the Hearts of the Children to the Fathers ; leSt (ſaith he) I come and {mite the Earth with a Curſe. This Prophecy related ro John me Baptist, as our Saviour here teacherh us; 1o, Luk. I. 17. it is conarmed by the Angel co Zachariah, and Mar. 9.11. From wich laſt Texr ir appeareti:, that the Scribes had a Tradition, that E/;z5 ſhould come before rhe Meſſiah. Their miſtake was, Ur thcy looked for an Elias to come in Perſon , when as God meant no more ( as the Angel expoundeth ir, Luk. 1. 17.) than one in the Spirit and Power of Elias, as bold and free a Preacher, Who ſhould no more fear the Face of Men, in the diſcharge of his Dury,than £745 did : (Saith our Saviour) if you will believe it, this J::nwas that Elias Prophefied of by Malachy. as. 14 * He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
13, It is an Epiphinema cr Concluſion ofcen uſed by our Saviour»
& (ud by Sr. 75bn inthe Revelation ) quickening up the Hearers to
» Juſt Atrencion to, and, belief of, what in the Doctrine prece-
| Cing he had revealed ro them : Intimaring that he knew, that
= Vaat he had faid-would not be entertained, or believed of all, bur only of ſuch, whote Ears and Hearcs God had opened, or ſhould open t9 receive Spiritual Myſteries, Bur ic was a matter of +rcat Concernment ; he therefore calls upon choſe, whoſe Ears
> &d hid opened to attend ir: So chap. 13. 9,43» Mar.4.9. and 7.16. Lub.s, 8.
16 But whereunto ſhall I liken this generation ? I is like unto children ſitting in the markets, and | Cling to their fellows. 17 And ſaying, We have piped unto you, and ye ae not danced ; we have mourned unto you, and ye tave not lamented. Vol, Il,
OUS ROT III OS OOO ORE 7 LORIE
»
4
ee; «
dt MM ATTHEIW |
Lube telling to us the ſame Hiſtory, chap, 7. v. 31, 32, 32, 34, 35- Prefacerh ir thus; v.29,30. And all the Perle thar beard Din, and the Publicanes juſtified God, being Baptized with the Baptiſm 6 f Fohn : But the Phariſees and the Lawy:rs rejzted the Cruntel of God again$ themſelves, being not Baptized of hin. Which lerreth us know , thar our 'Saviour by the tern; { this Generctinn | here doth nor mean all the People of that Generation + Bur this Pha- 11/2es and the Lawyers, whom nothing could a'jure or per{ivade to the recetving ot Jeſus Chriſt, neither the M; witry and Exam- ple of F-bn, nor yer his own "reaching and Ex:mple : Kor the Vecple and the Pudblicans, juſtified the Words of Cirift, which he had ſpoken in Commendation of 7-hn, and ere B:piized of him, bur the Phariſces 4nd Lawyers did nor believe, nor would be Baptized of him. Theſe cur Saviour likens ro a Company ot. lullen Children, whom cheir Fellows could nor perſwade any way ro a Compliance with them : It they Piped, rhey would noc Dance; it they Sang ro them ſome mourn! ul Sonzs, neither would they be Affected with them, ſo as no Tune would pleaſe them. i: 5 thought, thar our Saviour doth here allude to ſome Sport uſed then amongſt Children, which we are nor fo well acquainted with, wherein Children were wont to Sing , fometimes more * merry and pleaſant, ſomerimes more fad and mourntul Sonss one ro anotiicr ; and that he here likenerh the Phariſees and Lawver ; OA fullen ſerr of Children, rhar ler their Companions ting waas rey would, they would nt anfiver them, Our Saviour's PUUnng s expoundcd plainly enuugh by the next words,
1s For John came ncither cating nor drinking, and they ſay, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they Hay, Behold , a man gluttonous , and 3 wine bibber, a friend of publicanes and ſinners: bur wiſdom is juſtified of her children.