The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 345

priest, had he been moved by e. vulge.r e.mbition. Neither did he flatter prince&, but lost his head for his fidelity. (2) By the success of his ministry. (a) "The baptism of John" is here put for his doctrine. (JJ) Jesus, by submitting to John's baptism, accepted e.nd sanctioned his doctrine. (c) The vaat multitudes who came to his baptism thereby professed fe.ith in hie tee.ching. Her.ce the general expression, " All hold John e.s e. prophet." The defeat of Herod's army in the we.r with Arete.s, King of Are.hie., was esteemed by the Jews a judgment for the death of John (Josephus, 'Ant.,' xviii. 7). 2. John'• teswmony tMlf'efore sh<Ydul be conclusive. (1) Prophecy indicated him to be the harbinger of Messie.h. Thus Isaiah spake of him (cf. Isa. xl. 3; eh. iii. 3; John L 23). Bo Me.le.chi (cf. Mai. iv. 6; eh. xi. 14). So Zecharias (see Luke i. 17). (2) He indice.ted Jeans to be the Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God that beareth e.we.y the sin of the world. (3) The questioners had no reply to this argument. "They reasoned with themselves," not wbe.t we.s true to be believed, but whe.t it was safe to e.cknowledge. Note: Truths e.ppear in the clearest light when taken in order. The resolving of the previO?J,B question will be the key to the main question. If the questioners e.nswered Christ's question, they would answer their own. III. As IT IS EVIDENT IN THE DISCOMFITURE OF HIS ENEMIES. 1. They set up their authority agaimt Ms. (1) They claimed the right to rule in the temple. They were "chief priests "-judges in the ecclesiastical courts, "and eldors "-judges in the civil (see 2 Chron. xix. 6-11). They should therefore he.ve been the promoters of the kingdom of Messiah which they opposed. (2) They questioned the right of Jesus to teach in the temple, he being neither priest nor Levite. They were more concerned a.bout the right of our Lord to preach than about the character of his preaching. (3) Their question, "Who gave thee this authority?" suggests that they were offended because he not only taught without their permission, but contre.vened their concession to the tre.ffickers when he drove them out, (4) Here, then, is human authority disputing with the Divine-office in conflict with wisdom, Those who take upon themselves to act with authority should ask themselves the question, "Who gave thee this authority?" Those who run before their we.rre.nt run without their blessing (see Jer. xxiii. 21, 22). 2. He treated their presumption with contempt. (1) He convicted them e.s hypocrites. They had wit enough to see that reason was against them; for the Divinity of Christ we.s evident from the testimony of John. They knew that their "We cannot tell" was e. lie for "We will not tell." The son who said," I go, sir," e.nd went not, dissembled e.nd lied. What sort of truth-seekers are those who refuse the evidence whose cogency they see? 'l'hey were typical infidels, whose heart is at fault re.ther than the hee.d. Those who are enge.ged against the truth are abandoned to the spirit of falsehood. (2) He exposed them e.s incompetents. They affected to be judges e.s to the e.uthority of Jesus, Jesus forced from them the confession, '' We cannot tell," in rele.tion to the previous question of the e.uthority of John. The "Neither do I tell you" we.s e. merited repulse in which Jesus in his authority tl'iumphs. (3) He humbled their pride by proving them to be slaves to the fear of the people. But for the fear of the multitude, they would have questioned the authority of John. Many who a.re not influenced by the fear of sin are influenced by the fee.r of shame. (4) He shamed them by the exe.mple of the publicans and harlots, who believed John, but the lesson of whose reformation was lost upon them. Exe.mples of the power of truth are of little e.vail to the perverse.-J. A. M. Vera. 83-46.-Goodnesa and severity. In this parable Jesus sets forth the privi- leges, the sins, e.nd the impending ruin_of the Jewish people. It brings before us for our e.dmonition- 1. WHAT THE LORD DID FOB HIS PEOPLE. 1. He became a Father to tllem. (1) By virtue of creation he is the Father of the whole family of man. (2) By the Sinai covenant he became especially the Head of the house of Israel. (3) By the everle.sting covenant of his gospel he is now the Fe.ther of e.11 believers everywhere. 2. He gave them a rich inheritance. (1) The le.nd of promise was e.s "a vineyard" in distinction from the surrounding countries (cf. Ise.. v. 1-7). They were morally as well e.s phy- sically distinguished. (2) God himself II planted" them as" e. vine from Egypt" (cf. Ps, lxxx. 8-16; Isa. lxi. 3; Jer. ii. 21). 3. Ire made every provision/or their benefit. (1) 11 He set a hedge a.bout it." (a) By the "law of commandments contained in  350 THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. MA'l'THEW. [oH. XXL 1-46.