Matthew hath not this Addition to our Saviour's Commendation of Fobn, but it is of great uſe to introduce our Saviour's following Diſcourſe. The Evangeiift- here divideth the hearers into two ſorts, The firſt, were the Common People and] the Publicans y the former were deſpiſed by the Jewiſh Dritors, and Rabbzes, as a Rude Illiterate fort of *cople,the latter as a Noforiouſly wicked fort. The econd fort were ti:e Phariſees and the Lawyers ; of the former, he ſaith, that the; being Baptized with the Baptijm of John, Tuſtified God, that 15 tlicy owned, and Publicxly declared, and Predicated the Goodrelſs and Juſtice of God 3 they approved of wiiat 59d had done, and Bleſ- ſed his Name for lending amongſt them ſuch a Prophet as Zohn was ; they owned and received him, and were Baptized by him. Whoſo velieveth the meſſage which God lſendeth. and obeyeth it, he juſtifi- eth God, he that doth not, Accufth and Condemneti) God, fee ohn 3-35 1 John. 5. 10. But the Phariſees and the Lawyers, that is, the ©-11hes, not the Scribes of the People, ( they were but A#uaries, or Pyblick Notaries,) but the Scr192s of the Law, whoſe Ofjice it was to Interpret, and give the Senfe of the Law. Theſe rejeed ; the Word ſometimes ſignifies to deſpiſe, Ch. 10 15. 1 Theſ, .4. 8. Heb. lo. 28. ſometimes to diJannul, as Gal. 3. 15. ſornctimes to reje&, as Mar. 7. 9. Ch, £. 26- It ishere Interpreted ';y thoſe Words, Not being Baptized of him, We muſt underſtand the Senſe of jf8iJeozy by conſidering what is here meant by &anv Js fegs the Counſel of God, which ſome will underitand concerning the Purvoſe of God within him- ſelf, Others concerning his Reveat!d Wii, his Counſel as revealed to us. The matter ſeemeth to me. but a ſtrife about a Word, which is ſometimes taken in one Senſe, ſoynctiines in another. The Will of God is but one, only as every one of us keep ſome part of our 1.ind to our ſelves, and revea! other parts of it to our Servants, and Cl;ildr:n 3 So God wio hath Determined and Willcd ail Events, con- cealeth ſome part of1t from his C1 eatures, and Revealcth :nother part of it to them. It is the Wi! of God, that this, aud that, and the other Perton ſhould Believe, and be juved. He Revealeth as to this, thus much of his Wyi'l. that whaſo Believeth, ſhall be Saved; but for that other part of his will, that this, and that, or the other Man ſhall Believe, this he concealeth, trill he gives them a Power to Beljeve,and to receive the Goſpel, and then his Will in this particular is Revealed. Suppoting then we here underſtand by Azafy 78 Oe7, God's jecret purpoſe to be under(ftond, how 1t 1s proved that it muſt be underiond of his ſecret purpye fir thetr Salvation? why ſhould it not be underſtood of the fecret Purpoſe and Coui:te! of Gcd,to grve them
| Fo the means of Life and Salvation? God from all Eternity purpoſed to give the Jews the Miniſtry of 79bn the Baptiſt and Chriſt, as means for their Salvation, not which ſhould be certainly effeRive of it, but
that ſhould have ſuch a Tendency towards it, as without their own refuſing, and oppoſing them ihou!d have been effettive, and was in , | their cn Nature a proper means 1n order to it : they reje&, and re-
| fuſeit; by this they rejefted the Counſel of God, the effeR of his Counſel, and ſo judged themſelves unworthy of Eternal Life , by reglcting, deſpifing, and rejefting the uſe of that means, which was the Produ of an Eternal Purpoſe to fend them ſuch means. This
SS. LO ER |
6 Couric] of God 1s ſaid to be rejefed towards, or againſt themſelves ; tr: it as God s At it was towards themſelves, that 1s,for their Good ; nt if «-- refer ic to their Ad of Rejetion, or refuſal, it was azainſt thom- X felw-, a judging of themſelves unworthy of Eternal Life. We cannot in tis lace Tranflate it Diſannul,or Fruftrate.as Gal. 3. 15 underſtand- 1... *:as to the Dive Ac,for who can Fruſtrate or Diſannul the Wil! 0 o* 'vrpoſe of Man, as to an Affff of his own, within his Power to 190 p"rpoſe ? tho indeed as fo the Event it may be Diſannullzd as to any e4 ce as toanother, if it be made to depend upon the Action of Go, another. Beſides, what need any further Explication of this Phraſe, x} of ReieFing the Counſel of God againſt themſelves, than what follow- a; eh, Being not Baptized of him, that is, not receiving John's Dofrine of Repentance, for the Remiſſin of Sins, and bringinz forth Fruits our wirt%s of amendment of Life, nor ſubmitting to Baptiſm as a Teſtimo- fl ny o' ſuch Repentance; for the Baptiſm of John in Scripture fignifi- 7 eth 11s whole Adminiſtration, the DoRrine he Preached, as well as al the Ordinance of Baptiſm by him Adminiſtred; and ſo muſt be Inter - vOl-- prieted where our Saviour ask'd the Phariſees, whether John's Bap- im was from Earth or from Heaven, and they durſt not ſay from d 1n Heaven, leſt Chriſt ſhould have ask'd them, Why then they Believed him not ? They were not Baptized of him, is the ſame thing with, They would he none of his Diſciples.
F 31-And the Lord ſaid, Whereunto then ſhall [ liken _ the men of this generation ? and to what are they. Vhat like 7 aken 32' They are like unto children ſitting in the market-
place, a;d calling one to another, and ſaying, We have athed piped unto you, and ye have not danced, we have mour- appa- | nedto you, and ye havenot wept . -: 33 For* John the Baptiſt came neither eating bread, | Yea, | nor drinking wine : and ye ſay, He hath a devil. 24 Theſon of man is come eating and drinking, and. ad my ye ſay, Behold, a glutronous man, and a winebibber, a ay be- #1 friend of publicans and ſinners. 25 But wiſdom is juſtified of all her children. zorn of vee the Notes on Matt. 1r. 16, 17. where we have this ſmart j aptiſt "Fon upon the Scribes and Phariſe?s, and the generality of the j
They were neither pleaſed tull nor faſting, but cenſorious of Trent manner of living oft Zn and Chrift, John ſhewed a ' more auſtere and ſevere Humour, and lived like a Rectyſe; you 20 nothing elſe to C. v, you faid, FH” had a Devil. IT have choſen
or (ER the dif
vith th!
\c conſt tot a les Innocent, but a more free Converſe with* Ven of all ſorts,
end eat, and drink as other Men ; of me you ſay. that I am a Wine-
- 4116 «5.2 Glution, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners. Such was their ublicans perrerſencft. that
procceded from their Eumity to the Dottrine of
oy Baby 1rilm of | join 4nd Chriſt,
: turned up, and the might with convenience enough, come at t her,