The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 101

the grandest apparatus of Heaven ie brought into use I 2. What a testimony of real consideration to the world I Is a great trust committed to eartl,ly vessels? ls it a trust of critical and tremendous responsibility? .Are men, not angels, the ministers of truth, of life, of salvation to their fellow-men, in the name of Christ? Then alike it is mercy for those who are to be blessed, as for those who are to bless, that into these latter, though they should stand but one by one, and follow one another in narrowest line of succession, the whole force of absolute conviction should be thrown by Heaven's and God's own most approved methods. On this occasion we cannot doubt Jesus him- self was refreshed with the vision of open heaven, with the alighting on him of the holy Dove, with the voice of the Father, and the words that voice spoke. But in that John was the witness, and presumably the only witness hereof, the significance can be but one; and it is plain and most striking.-B. Vere. 1-12.- The forerunner. I. JOHN'S APPEABANCl': AND CBA.RACTEn. He claimed to belong to the old prophetic line by appearing clad in the prophetic garb, the single rough garment of skin. His manner of life harmonized with his dress; leaving the comfortable home and well-provided life and fair prospects of a priestly family, he adopted the meagre, comfortless life of an ascetic. To entangle himself with the world would have tended to blind him to its vices and silence his remon- strance. He gathered round him a few men like himself, and" taught them to pray." Thus he became "a voice." The rough garment, the long, uncared-for hair, the wiry, weather-beaten frame, the ascetic life, were all eloquent. In any age, in order to become a voice for good, a man must be unworldly, consistent, himself the most convinced. The men who have few desires for earthly gain and comfort are accepted as the messengers of Heaven. There is no power on earth like the power of a con- secrated life. II. JOHN'S WORK WAS TO BOUSE THE PEOPLE TO PBEP ABE THE WAY OF THE LORD ; to make ready for the coming of their King. (For illustrations of the figure, Stanley's • Through the Dark Continent' may be consulted.) The herald of a royal progress has generally nothing to do but proclaim the approach of the king; triumphal arches are extemporized by the meanest village, unseemly things are swept a.way or hidden, the entire population turns out to shout a welcome. But John had to tum the thoughts of men from lifelong pursuits; to convert, not an individual, which is hard enough, but a land. He bad to prepare the way of One who came with power to bestow tbe Holy Ghost and make men the sons of God-a King who could be acceptable only to men thirsting for God and righteousness. Who are prepued to welcome Christ? Who are in a condition to hail as good tidings salvation from sin? III. MEANS USED BY JOHN, 1. He preached and baptized. John preached that repentance was needed as a preparation for the coming King. He taught the people that it was a spiritual, not a physical, condition which qualilied for entrance into the kingdom; that if it was a mere question of furnishing a number of Abraham's children as subjects for the Messiah, God could turn the stones into chil<l.ren of Abraham. In fact, he excommunicated the whole of Israel, ancl assured them they could enter the kingdom only by repentance and by the grace of him who would baptize with the Holy Ghost. 2. Ho put this teaching in a symbolic form. He baptize<l.. The rite characterized his ministry. He was the Baptist. He made the horn Jews un<l.ergo the rite proselytes underwent. Three things, say the Jews, make a prosclyte- circumcisiou, baptism, sacrifice. And the law for the baptism of a proselyte was: "They bring the proselyte to baptism, and, when they have placed him in the water, they again instruct him in the weightier and lighter matters of the Law, which, being heard, he plunges down and comes up, and behold be is an Israelite in all things." Baptism was the symbol whereby the new birth was expressed to the eye. The Gentile went down into the water as into a grave, in which his old man was left, and he came up a new man, born now a Jew and not a Gentile-born of the water. To ask Jews to submit to this ordinance was to ask them to acknowledge that their physical birth as children of Abraham was insufficient to prepare them for their King. Points for homiletic elaboration: conr,ection of word and symbol in sacraments-relation of 1acrament to grace conferred-John's New •restament use of the title "Holy Ghost." IV. fiESULTS OF JonN'B WORK, 'l'here was a fascination about him which drew all !10 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oH. m. 1-17.