Country, tho' within the ſame Province and Tribe, ſee Foſ7. 8. 1+ Toe King of Ai, his City an4 his Land, and in particular as ro Hze- ruſalem, 2 Chron, 11. I'4. and 20.17. and 35. 23. Ezra 2.1. Luxe 5+ 17. and 6. 17. Chriſt and his Difciples went into the Country part of Fudeo, e and there hz tarried with them,and ba: zed by his Dif- ciples; for himſelt perſonally baptized none. Burt asin our com- mon Speech, fo in the Language of Scripture, there is nothing more ordinary than for Perſons to be faid themſelves to do, what they do by others, 1S2me 26, 11, 12: 2Kings 22.16. 2Chron. 34: 24. Atts 5. 34;
23 T And John alſo was baptizing in Anon, . near to Salim, f becauſe there was much water there g ; and they came, and were baptized þ.
f © /Enon 15 here faid to he near Salim ; it was the Name of a City, as ſome ti:ink ; orhers fay , River ar Brook near ithat. City ; neirher the Rzver, nor the City, are elſewhere mentioned in Scripture © but Topographers place it on the Eaſtern part of the Lor of Manaſſes, not far trom Betſhan, or Scythopolis 2, there Fohn was Baptizing 3 becauſe this /E£102 was a Brook or Rever that had much Water, which in Fudea was rare. There 1s:no Water more holy than other. Fob Bapnzed in Fordan ani in Bethabara, and in Aon. The Ordinance ſanCtified the Water, but did nor require conſecrated Water for the due Adminftration of ir. Ir is from this apparenr, ſay ſome, rhat both Chri/? and Fohn Baptized by dipping the Body in the Warer ; elſe they needed nor have ſoughr places where had been a grear plen- ty of Water-: Orhers ſay it is not apparent from this place, that Baptiſm was adminiſtred by dipping or plunging, ' 1. Becauſe a2aa2 uae lignifies rather mary Waters, than deep, ſeveral Rivulers, or the overilowing of Fordan iathar place, as Beza notes, and E072 here mentioned is found by Travellers, to be very. ſhallow. 2. Be- cauſe ftore of Water was nece7ary, by rea'on of the multitudes thar came to be Baprized by Fobr, Mat. 3. though they were not plung- ed, or if fone think it probable from this Texr, that ſometimes the Apoſtles did Baprize by dipping, yet it is at leaſt as provable;thatthey did not, or not conftantly, from what we read of the Apottles bap- tizing in Houſes, Acts 9. 17. 18. and 19.47. 48, and 16. 33. þ The People came to 70/2 and were Baptized, that is, great numHers of them did fo.
24 For * John was not yet cait into prifon
z For John wasnot yer in the exerciſe of his publick Miniſtry : not calt into Prifon, as he was ſoon after.
25 T Then aroſe a queſtion betwee ſome of Johns diſciples and the Jews, abour puritying &.
& The Fews had ſo many Purifyings, ſome legal, inftirnated by God, ordained by Moſes as Gods Mini:ter ; ſome Trads:0nal, brought, in by che Phariſees, as their waſhings before meat, Mat.1 5. Mark 7. that it ſeemerh an hard thing to determine, what the Queſtion was berwixt Fohn's Diſciples and rhe Fews, abour whar Puritying ; and the boldeſt determiners in this Caſe, are no betterthangue/ſers: Sorae would have Baptiſm to be meant here by Purifying. It would much conduce to the reſolution of rhe Queſtion, if we knew what theſe Jews were, with whom Fohns Diſciples argued. If rhey were of the Phariſees, it is probable, the Queſtion was about Fohns Baptiſm, conſidering the frequent waſhings and purifyings that they had in uſe among(t them. If they were other Fes, the Queſtion might be abour the vertue and efficacy of the ceremonial Waſhings, ordained b; the Law of God, whether they were meer Types, and now to ceaſe 2 Whether in themſelves they conduced any thing to the Waſhing and cleanſing of a Sou! ? [ſthefe Fems were (as ſome think, \but I know not how it can be proved) Diſciples of Chriit, the Queſtion might be abour Fohns and Chri#t Baptiſm: This Netion ſ{eemeth to be favour- ed by what went betore ;; where the Evangeliſt had been ſpeaking of Baptiſm, as adminiſtred by Chrifts Diſciples, and by Fob: ; as allo from what followerh ,viz. Fohns Diſciples coming to him, and cora- plaining, Thar Chrilt by his Diſciples baptize more than their Maſter, Bur there ſeemeth to be this great prejudice againic the Notion of thoſe learned Men that have embraced that Notion, v:z. Thar the Queſtion 18 ſaid ro have riſen berwixt Johns Diſciples and the Fews ; now we want an inſtance in Scripture, where the D2/c:ples of Fob; are pur in oppoſition to the D.ſciples of Chr:#, and under Notion of the Fews: The term Ferws, generally fgnifying, that part of the people who adhered to rhe Fudarcal Rites and Religion ;- eſpecially where, (as here) it is uſed in oppoſition.either to th& D1ſc:pies of Fohn or of Chris, It is moit probable therefore the Queltjon was, either abour the Maſhinzs ordained by the Law of Moſes, or abour the Traditional waſhings obſerved by the Phariſees.
26 And they came unto John, and faid unto {it Rabbi /, he that was with thee *beyond Jordan, te whom thou bareſt wieneſs z, behold, the ſame Eap- eizeth, and all men come to him ».
/ The Diſciples of Fohn coming unto aim, give him the uſualtitle, under which in that age,they were wont to ſpeak ro thoſe whom they owned as their Teachers, which was Rabbr. m Their buſineſs was to complain, that Chri# whom they do not think fit to name, nor co give him any tirle, bur mention him as one much inferior to their Maiter, one that came to him to Bethabara, and ro whom he there gave reſtimony, Ch. 1.7. 34. as if Chriſt had from him derived all his Credit and Reputation. Their Maſter did not go to Chriit, bur he came rotheir Matter ; he wasnot baptized of Chri.t,bur Chrilt was baprized of him; he did nor give Teltimony to their Matter, but their Maſter gave Teilimony to him ; now ſay rhey, » he baprizeti by tis
bod *
ntly, The chief City of a Country is oft diſtinguiſhedfrom rhe:
Diſciples, and multitudes, many of all ſorts of People ( for the um- verſal Particle 4/ mer, can here fignifie no more) come to him 5 Love is Jealous, they were afraid rhat their Maſters reputation won!d by this means flag and be diminiſhed. Such a Paſſage we find, Nm. 11. 28, And thus Fobn, our Saviours Diſciple, was Jealous for Chrilt
Chap. [I].
F
3 #
his Maſter, Luke 9. 49. They all all finned, asappears by the anſwer *1COre4R7 given by Moſes to Foſhua, Num. 11. 29. and Chrilts anſwer to Fohn, Heb. 5. 4- Luke 9. 50. and by the following reply of 70/52: to theſe Diſciples. Fam. 1. 17-
enyying for his fake.