up by Herod in Priſon, the Holy Scriptures do not certainly tell us wut it muſt be very ſhort, for our Saviours time was little more then vhree years, and we hear of his impriſonment in the beginning of our Saviour'sPublick Miniſtry. All that we have ef Fobn's Mini- ſiry is to be found either in this Chapter,or in Mat. 3. or in Mark rt. or in the firſt, and third Chapters of Fohn., From them all it ap- peareth, That the Sum of his Do&rine, was the neceſſity of Repen- tance, and Faith in Chriſt, in order to the Remiffion of Sins. His preffing Faith in Chriſt is moſt clearly declared by the Evangeliſt Zobn : Matthew, Mark and Luke inſiſt more upon his Preaching the Do&rine of Repentance, for the Remiſfion of Sins, and Baptiſm as an Evidence of it. Which Dofrine of Repentance he preſſed, both from Fuarzclical Motives, the Kingdom of Heaven js at Hand, and from Lee:i Mitives,or Arguments of Terror, The Ax Is now laid to the Roos of the Tree, In this ſetting an Example to all Miniſters of the Goſpel, ſhewing them what ſhould be the main Subjetts of their Diſcourles 3 for we thall find that our Saviour Preached the ſame Doftrine, and in the ſame Method. What is here ſaid, we before opened in our Notcs on Matth. 3. 2. and Mar. I. 4. Fohn did not Preach that Baptiſm was Repentance, or that Remiſſion of Sins was infallibly an- nexed to it, but that the way to obtain Remiffion of Sins was by Repentance, and that Baptiſm was an External Sign and Symbol of it,
4 As it is written in the book of the words of * Efaias the prophet, ſaying, The voice of one crying
4 _ 4 4 in the wilderneſs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
{ Job. 1. 23. his paths ſtraight.
5 Every valley ſhall be filed, and every moun- tain and hill ſhall be brought low, and the crooked ihall be made ſtraight, and the rough ways ſhall be
made imooth. 6s And all fleſh ſhall ſee the ſalvation of God.
All four of the Evanzeliſts apply that Propheſie, Taiah 4o. 3, 4, 5 to F1bn the Baptiſt, Tuke only repeats wit is ver. gs. and 6. and in {aiah, chap. 4c. 4, 5. and hedoth but ſhortly repeat what is in the Prophet, v. 5. the Prophet faith, And the Glory of the Lord ſhall be reveal: d, and ail Fleth hail fee it together, for the Mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. But there ** nething more uſual, than for the Writers in the New Te#ament, in their Quotations out of the Old Teitameat, to repeat the inmot the Senſe, not the Words ſtrialy. For the underſtanding of that Prophecy, we muſt know, that there the Prophet Jaiah was ſent to Comfort thoſe amongſt the Jews, who tearcd Sod ; partly with afſuring them that they ſhould return from B:iby/on, their warfare ſhould have an end, Cyrus ſhould deliver tem, partly with afluring them of a far greater deliverance, in and by the coming of the Meſſiah (of whom Cyrus was but a Type, ) to this purpoſe the Prophet ſets out both Cyrus, and in that Type Chriſt's coming, as if both were preſent, and at Hand. Kings and great Princes coming (eſpecially with Armies) have uſually ſome coming before them,as Pzoneers, to prepare their way, by Levelling Rough places, and removing whatioever is in the way of their Mo-
tions, aud filling up Holes and Ditches, &c. nor are they far off
when once their Harbiugers, and Pioneers are arrived, or are ſeen coming z John is here ſet. out as an Harbinger to Chriſt, to prepare his way, or a Pioncer to fill up Ditches, throw down Hills, to make Rough ways ſmooth, and every way to prepare the way for him, That all Fleſh might ſee the Salvation of God. And as Princes that have Wiiderneſs to paſs through, have more need of their Piorezrs to prepare, and ſmooth their ways : So the State of the Jews being now confuſed, as a Wilderneſs, and Corrupt above Meaſure, John the Baptiſt was ſent before tocry in the Wilderneſs, Cc. This I take to be the true Senſe of the Prophecy, and that it is mighty Vain to ſtrain theſe Metaphorical Phraſes, and inquire what is meant by Val- leys, Mountains, and Crooked-ways, they almoſt certainly ſignifie the ſame thing, 272. whatſoever might be and hindrance to Peoples re- ccrving of Chriſt, and to Philoſophiſe further about them, is but to ew the Luxuriancy of our Wit, rather than any Solidity of Judg- ment. The whole Scope of theſe three Verſes, is but to ſhew, That as Kings, and Princes, and Governours of Armies, have uſed to have Harbingers, and Fioneers, or other Offiicers to go before them, to
TL VAS
d, the eldeſt %on of the Family of 4zr-m remove things out of the way of them and their Retinue, and tg
prepare their wy : So had Chriſt, and John the BaptiSÞ was the Man whom the Lord pitched upon for that purpoſe, by his Preaching to bring Men to a Senſe of their Sins, aad off from their wicked Courſes, and to ſhew them their need of a Saviour, that f when Chriſt came himſelf forth to Pteach, People might not be wholly ignorant, but 1n ſome meaſure prepared to receive the joyful Tidin e of the Goſpel, which he brought unto them, 3 7 Then ſaid he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of | repen-
have Abraham to our father, For I ſay unto you, that!” God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up children vnt, Abraham.
9 And now alſo the ax is laid unto the root of the tree ; * every tree therefore which bringeth nor.
fire.
See the Notes on atth. 3. 7. 8.9, Io. where we meet with alj this with no Alteration fave that Matthew ſaith that he ſpoke rhis to the Phariſees and Saddyces, ſeeing them come to his Baptiſin ; th, he did eſpecially intend them, yet he fpake in the hearing of th, Multitude, amongſt whom they were.
19 And the people asked him, ſaying, What ſh:i] wedo then ?
wiſe.