The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 464

learner. Yet the pulpit is not a place in which to air one's doubts. If the teacher is in serious uncertainty as to his message, is he not a blind leader of the blind? III. THE CAUSES OF TJIE DOUBT. How dared the black thought venture to roost in the mind of the great prophet? 1. In disappointment. Jesus had not developed into the Messiah John had expected. The promising career of the Nazarene seemed to be passing into a simple ministry of preaching and healing. But John had a mistaken idea of the Messiahship. Sometimes doubts arise from the disappointment of erroneous religious notions. 2. In adversity. John lay in prison-he who all his life had Jived in the wilderness! We need not be astonished that he was deprellsed. 3. Without full grounds ef assurance. John never had been exactly a Christian. There is much donbt infecting the border-land of Christian faith. IV._ '1'1:1-E.TREATMENT OF THE DOUBT. 1. Confession. John did not deny it; he did not hide 1t m shame; on the ~o~tra.ry, he clearly expressed it. _We have half conquered our doubts when we have distinctly stated them. 2. Inquiry. John did not rest satisfied with doubt. He sought a solution of his difficulty. 3. Resorting to Ohrist. John sent to Christ. We can best learn about Christ by going straight to Christ. It is wise to bring our doubts to him. He meets doubt by showing his great works. To-day the answer to doubt is the work of Christ in the world.-W. F. A. Ver. 11.-The greatness of the l,east Christian. These words of our Lord read like a paradox. They are after the manner of his strong startling sayings that arrest atten- tion and dart surprising thoughts into our mind. Nevertheless, understood as he meant them to be, they contain no exaggeration. L THE GREATNESS OF JoHN THE BAPTIST. All parties of Jews had agreed in honour- ing the wonderfal prophet of the wilderness. He had now passed from his popular work to the seclusion of a dungeon, and the frown of the government was upon him. In his lonely imprisonment he had been visited by distressing doubts, and Jesus had just heard of bis difficulties. But all the more did our Lord delight to honour hie fore- runner, and now that John was seen at the greatest disadvantage, Jesus, magnanimously passing by the slight offered to himself, described him with language of the highest possible honour. 1. John was great as a man. Hie life was lofty, simple, unselfish, 1llld devoted. (1) He showed fearless courage in standing before a king and denouncing royal wickedness. (2) He showed deep humility in giving place at the height of hie popularity to an obscure New-Comer. 2. John was great as a prophet. Hie influence was felt throughout Palestine and even beyond its borders. Alone, but a voice crying in the wilderness, be thundered against the prevalent evils of all classes, and succeeded in spreading an earthquake-wave through society. 3. John was great '11. preparing for Ohrist. This was his peculiar function, and herein lay his unique supremacy. He was the last of the pre-Christian prophets, and he prepared. the soil for the new seed of the Word of Christ. IL THE OBVIOUS O."'FERIORITY OF THE LEAST CHRISTIAN. It would he a piece of inordinate vanity for a commonplace Christian to pretend that he was in himself i!Uperior to John the Baptist. There are very imperfect Christians who yet cannot be denied the name of followers of Christ. 1. These peopk are inferior in character. Compared with John the Baptist, they are cowardly, selfish, and worldly. 2. These peopk are inferior in giftB. They are not prophets. They see no new truth ; they speak no Divine words; they do nothing remarkable, and very little that is at.all helpful to their fellows. IIL THE SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN GREATNESS. Obviously this does not consist in personal goodness or attainment. It is purely a result of new advantages. It is like the elevation of the dwarf on the giant's shoulders. The rider will reach the goal first if he is on e. swift horse and is contending with a foot-runner, although he may not be so agile. Modern a=unition and military tactics 11:ive the soldiers of Europe and America an immense advantage over barbarous warriors, although the latter may in some cases equal them or even surpass them in strength and courage. The least Christian has certain advantages which were beyond the reach of the greatest prophet. 1. The knowledge of Christ. The context shows that John had not reached this knowledge. Yet it is the heritage of every Christian. 2. The life from Christ. The -Christian is redeemed, and to him a new life is given. Christ is in him. 3. Th4 orr. :r.L 1-30.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 4&1