in whom," etc. (For tho expression, comp. in "Western" authorities nf Luke Iii. 22, 11lso l\lrtrk xii. 6 (not in the parallel pass11ge, "Thon art my &n; this day have I begoUeu Mott. xxi. 37); Eph. i. 6.) In whom I am thee," evidenlly with a desire to emphasize well pleased; rathor, in tohom I hat1e delight the application of the second psalm. The (of. Isa. lxii. 4, Authorized Version). The additional sign is the light or fire. The sim- tense (,~001<'1)<Ta) is equivalent to" my delight plest form of this is (Tatian's 'Dintessaron,' fell on him, he become the object of my love" edit. Zahn)," A light rose upon the waters;" (Winer, xl. 5, b, 2). The Spirit came, the and in the Ebionite Gospel apud Epiph., Fnther bore witness. "Thns the Baptist "Immediately a great light shone round receives through a revelation the cerlainty about the plnce;" more fully in Justin of the Messiahship of Jesus, and thus the Martyr (' Trypho,' § 88), "When Jesus ha,! reader learns that the Son of David, who gone down into the water, fire was kindled through his birth (eh. i.) and the fortunes in the Jordan;" also in a now lost 'Pred, of his childhood (eh. ii.) we.a cortified e.s Paul,' "When he was being baptized, fire the Messiah, now also is announced to the was seen upon the water;" and in the Cod. lnst of the prophets as the Son of God, to Vercellensis of the Old Latin, "When he whom Jebov11h, in Ps. ii. 7, etc., had pro- was being baptized, au immense light shone mised the Messianic dominion of the world" round from the water, so that all who had (Weiss, 'Matthii.us-Evang.'). Yet not only come thither were afraid." Although there so; the words probably revealed to tho Lord is no intrinsic objection to this symbol having Jesus himself more of his exact relationship taken place, it is very improbable that in to the Father than he had before as llfan this case the evangelists would not have realized. Snch an assurance of his true recorded it. The legend may have arisen nature, and of the Father's delight in him, from ver. 11, or, and more probably, from would he of essential service in strengthening an endeavour to make the baptism pamllel him for his work (cf. eh. xvii. 5). There to the Transfiguration (eh. xvii. 2) ; cf. a.re two other mutters connected with onr Ephraem, in Resch (' Agrapha,' p. 358), Lord's baptism recorded by tradition (of. "John drew near and worshipped the Son, especially Reech, • Agrapha,' pp. 346-367}-- whose form an unwonted l1111tre 1ur- additional words spoken, and an additional rounded." sign given. The worda spoken are found
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-12.-17ieforerunner, I. Hrs ANNOUNCEME~"T. 1. His sudden appearance, It is the first mention of John the Baptist in St. Matthew's Gospel. He flashes upon us suddenly, like his prototype Elijah in the Old Testament. St. Luke tells us of his birth, of his solitary life: he "was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel." Now the time was come, "In those dayR," St. Matthew says, while the Lord was still at Nazareth, living a family life with brethren and sisters-the children, in all probability, of Joseph by a former marriage-taking his share in the family duties, labouring with his hands to support his virgin mother ;-in those days, while the Lord was still unknown, unrecognized, in the world that was made by him, comes John the Baptist. 2. Hia preaching. (1) "Repentance." The word means properly a change of mind, an inner, spiritual change. It is the first note of warning in the New Testament, the first practical exhortation addressed generally to all men-the first sermon in the First Gospel. St. John, indeed, belonged rather to the Law than. to the gospel. He was the embodiment of the Old Testament, as Christ is the embodiment of the New, But he was preparing the way of the Lord, announcing the kingdom that was coming; therefore he preached repentance. A mighty change must come over all who are to be trne citizens of that kingdom, fellow-citizens with the saints. A.11 needed that great change. The Sadducees must lay aside their false doctrine, their worldliness, their iarliffereuce; the Pharisees must be set free from their formalism, their hypocrisy, tl,eir self-righteousness. All who would receive the Christ, who would come to him for peace and for salvation, must alike repent. Old things must pass away; all things must become new; indifference must make way for devotion, selfishness for self- sacrifice, the love of the world for the holy love of God. This is the blessed change of repentance, the great need of every human soul (2) "The kingdom of heaven." '!'he Hebrew nation had been the kingdom of God, the theocracy. But Daniel had prophesied a kingdom that should fill the whole eatth, that should never be destroyed--an ever• on, m.1-17.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO B'l', MATTHEW. 77