The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 173

the objcotive specta.cle.) The complle.nca the eternal principles of jastice 1tnd right- with the injunction shows tha.t they under- eousness, to a reformation of religion anrl stood something of the spiritual ne.ture of more.ls; but he could not be said to have the trunsa.ction. We me.y e,lso note the.t reconstituted, re• established all things; the prohibition itself is presumptive evi- though iL is possible that, had his message dence age.inst the supposed mythice.l che.- been received e.nd a.cted upon, some ench. re.cter of the vision. effects would have been produced. How Ver.10.-Why then (o~v) say the eoribea and in what degree Elijah, again appear- thd Eliaa must first oome 1 The ille.tive ing and living on earth, will effect thfa pal'ticle "then" shows tha.t the apostles' great a.chicvement, we know not. We can question a.rose from something immediately only fall back on the ancient prophecy, preceding. The connection eeems to be which affirms that "he shall turn the heart this: Elias had just e.ppee.rcd and then had of the !nth ere to [or, • with '] the children, v1i.nished ngnin: how could this visitation and the bee.rt of tlie children to [or, 'and'] be recouciled with the scribes' interpretation their fathers" (Mai. iv. 6), and expect that of Malachi's propheoy? If Elias was to in some way, known unto God, be shall come before the advent of Messiah, and convert one and all, young and old, unto the Jesus is the Messiah, how is it that he has Lord: or unite the Jews who a.re the only now shown himself? If he bas a work fathers in the faith to Christians who a.re to do on earth, bow could he do that when their children, and thus embrace Jew a.nJ his sojourn was limited to a few minutes' Gentile in one fold under one Shepherd. duration, and to the view of so few wit- Ver. 12.-Elias is come already. The nesses? Malachi had spoken of the Mes- mystical, not the real, Elia.a, even John the senger who was to precede and prepare Baptist, who ea.me in the spirit and power the way for Messiah; he had said, " Before of Elias (Luke i. 17). Christ is here speak- the great day of the Lord, I will send you ing of the past, a.s in the preceding ver3e he Elijah the prophet" (Mai. iii. 1: iv. 5); spake of the future. The common Jewish and the learned among the J ewe interpreted interpretation confused the two events and these two passages of his appeare.nce in the two personages, reducing them to one. person to herald the e,pproach of Messiah. And thie mistake has been committed by Hence the perplexity of the apostles, they, many modem expositors. They knew him like the scrilies, not distinguishing the two not. They did not recognize his true cha- ndvents of Christ, and the double allusion racter and the import of hie mission. Though in the prophel's a.nnounoement-the "Mes- they gathered round him and listened to his aenger" in eh. iii. 1 being a different preaching and denunoiations, very few saw pel'sonage from" Elie.a" in eh. iv. 5, though in him the precursor of the Messiah, and of the same power and spirit. Christ ex- many, mieunderet.anding his o.ustere, eelf- plains the difficulty in the two next verses. denying life, deemed him to be poeseesed by Ve:r. 11.-Elias truly shall first come a devil (eh. xi. 18). They have done unto (lpx•-ra.1, cometh), Many of the best manu- him. John suffered a long imprisonment, scripts and editions omit" first." The Vul- and was eventually murdered; aud though gaw has merely, Eliaa quidem venturua est. Herod was primarily answerable for these J.t is probably inserted in our text from the doings, the people were virtually guilty, in p11mllel pa.eea.gein Mark, whereitie certainly th:i.t they consented to the injurious treat- genuine. Christ ie here alluding to hie ment e.nd made no effort in his favour. own second coming, which shall be preceded Likewise , .. also. Ta.king occasion from the by the appearance of Elijah in person. Thie mention of the Baptist's fate, Jesus foretells eeeme to be the plain meaning of the his own sufferings and death, endeavouring prophecy in Malachi, and of Christ's an- to m11ke the apostles familiar with the idea. nouncement, and ie confirmed by St. J ohn'e of o. dying a.s well ae a conquering Messiah. statement concerning the two witnesses Ver. 13.-Then the disciples understood. (Rev. xi. 3, 6). That the paragraph cannot Though Jesus had ea.id publicly conoerning refer to John the Baptist is pie.in from the John, "This is he of whom it is written, tenses ueed in this verse contrasted with Behold, I send my messenger before thy those in the following. To regard ver. 12 fa.co," nnd, "This ie Elias which wRs for to as simply a correction of ver. 10 ie to do come" ( eh. xi. 10, 14); and though the violence to language, and to leave one-half angel Gabriel, in announcing his birth, had ofMa.la.ohi's prediction unexplained. Restore avowed that he should go before the Christ (uiro,ccmz0"~1rn),a.ll things. The eHmt ie still in the spirit nnd power of Elias " (Luke i. future, and we.e not fulfilled in the Baptist's 17), the apostles hitherto had not ta.ken to preaching, however deep and extensive may heart the truth thus conveyed. Indeed, it have been its influence. Of oourse, John in was something quite new that they should a partial degree reproduced the cha.raoter thus o.t once apprehend Christ's meaning, and acts of Elijah, directing the penple to so slow were they of faith, w Ullintelligens  176 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cJH. xvn. 1-27.