The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 91

the remission of sins. John baptized with water; Christ, with the Holy Ghost and with fire. John's baptism was a preparatory rite; Christ's baptism was a sacrament. ot regeneration, the one baptism (Eph. iv. 6). John's baptism was unto repentance; Christ's baptism was into Christ. John's baptism was incomplete; it was not baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. xii. 13); it did not remove the necessity of Christian baptism (Acts xix. 5). But it was a holy rite, performed in accordance with the Divine command (John i. 33), symbolical, like the purifications under the Law, of that spiritual cleansing which the sinful heart needs, and consecrated at last by the example of the Lord Jesus himself. 3. Their confession. The Greek word seems to imply that the coufession was complete, not a mere general o.cknowledgment of sinfulness, but a special confession of definite sins. John's baptism was unto repentance; confession was tlie preliminary, the pledge of that repentance without which the baptism was an empty sign. God requires confession of us, not necessarily to man, but to himself, There is no word of Holy Scripture more precious than that gracious promise, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." III. llis RECEPTION OF THE PIIARISEES AND SADDUCEES. 1. They came to his baptism. It was strange-the Pharisees came with their intense sectarianism, their hollow formalism; the Sadducees with their indifference, their unbelief. But they came; the power of John's preaching, the attraction of his character and ascetic life, the widespread excitement, drew them with the multitudes who flocked to the banks of Jordan. So people come now in crowds to hear a great preacher; but, alas I often their hearts are not touched. They listen, but they are not converted. Did they seek to be baptized? We might have thought that they were drawn to John only by curiosity, but the Greek preposition seems to imply that they sought baptism at his hands. We cannot tell their motive. Perhaps it was simply the strong current of public opinion ; they came because others came ; as, alas I many come to church nowa- days. Perhaps it was the desire to stand well in the sight of the people, who all regarded John as a prophet. Certainly it was not the right motive. John was unwilling to receive them; they were unfit for his baptism; they wanted the baptism only, not the repentance; the putting away of the filth of the flesh, not the inquiry of a good conscience after God ; they did not feel the need of that change of heart which was the necessary preparation for the coming kingdom. Probably John refused to receive them. St. Luke tells us (Luke vii. 30) that the Pharisees generally were not baptized of him. 2. Bis address. (1) He rebukes them. Mark his unsparing severity. He was no flatterer. The high plaoes in the Church were then in the hands of the Sadducees. The Pharisees had great influence; men revered them for their supposed sanctity; thry were the recognized gnides of public opiuion. But John had no soft words for them. It is painful to Christians to speak sternly; but sometimes holy sternness is necessary, sometimes it is a bounden duty. It is never more necessary than in the case of those who have deluded themselves into the belief that they are righteous men, while their religion is mere formalism, hypocrisy, outside pretence. John called them a generation of vipers, offspring of vipers ; our Lord used the same strong words afterwards. They were like the serpent in Genesis-cunning, deceitful, dangerous ; all the more so, because they hid their venom under the appearance of godliness. The Baptist distrusted them: "Who bath warned you?" he said. He had not expected that such as they would seek his baptism. He knew the hardness of their oearts, the hollowness of the formalism to which they had enslaved themsel,ves, their pride and confidence in their exclusive privileges. Nothing short of a miracle, he thought, could arouse them. They knew, indeed, that there was wrath to come ; but they supposed it was reserved for the Gentiles, and that they, the seed of Abraham, were safe. Could it be that God's Holy Spirit had touched even those proud zealots, and softened even tho88 stony hearts? Nothing is impossible with God. If he bears with hardened sinner£, his ministers may well bear with them. . Therefore (2) ho counsels them. They must show the sincerity of their repentance by bringing forth the fruit of a holy life-fruit worthy of the repentance which they professed. John's baptism was a baptism of repents nee. Repentance is a change of heart and thought; such a change must manifest itself in a renewed, a consecrated life. They must not tr..ist in their descent from Abraham, God could raise up children to Abraham fro111 OH. m. 1-17.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 79