The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 76

!looked in great nnmbel"I! to his baptism. Abrahnm;" "And if ye P>e Ohrist'e, thc-n They were alarmed a.11d disturbed a.t hia e.re ye Abrnham's seed, nud heirs according preaching; they feared that that drear time to the promise" (Ge.I. iii. 7, 29). of awful suffering, generally known RB the Ver. 9.-And now also the u:e h l&i.d "woes of Messiah," a. period whioh their 1lllto the root of the tree■ : evory tree there- gTe&t mbbi1 had told them "'onld preoedo fore whioh bringeth not forth good fruit I.lo Messiah's advent, was at hand; thev would hewn down, a.nd out into the 11:re. 'l'hie provide themselves with some talisman intensifies the statement respecting the against this time of sore calamity. The power of God to raise up, out of the very inspired predictor of these "woes "-men river shingle at their feet, children who evidently looked on John as such-bade should inherit the glonoue promises me.da them come to hu bapti.nn ; this baptism to Abraham. Nay, more, the Divine Wood- would be surely a safeguard, an easy bit of man had already le.id the nxe at the root of ritual, thought they, and one that readily the tree of Israel ; its hours, as the peoulie.r approved itself to men trained in the rabbis' people, were indeed numbered. Let theae, llChooiB of that e.ge, so they came to him in who said they were willing to wash and be numbel'll. But John read their hearts; hence olee.n, be ready and bring forth fruit worthy his stern fiery rebukes. "Let it be borne of their high calling e.nd the lofty prerogative in mind that only teachel"I! of transcendent of which they boasted. The last of the holineBS, and immediately inspired by God prophets, from hie lonely we.toh-tower of with feITency and insight, may dare to uee unerring insight into the future, saw the euch lan~uage" ( Farrar). awful coming doom of the loved city, the Ver. 8.-B1mg forth therefore fruits scattering e.nd ce.ptivity of the remnant of worthy ot repentanoe. In other words, the chosen people. Within forty years of " Since yon profess to have ta.ken flight tha.t tiwe would tile fe.tnl e.xe, now lying e.t from the wrath to come, show at once, by the root of tb e tree, be lifted. In uttering yonr change of life, that your repentance is this stem prophetio saying, we believe John worth something, has some meaning in it." was gazing e.t the storm gathering round Begin not to say withinyolll'llelves, We have Jerusalem, .which in A.D. 70 swept awe.y Abraham to our father. These words show city e.nd temple, and destroyed the existence that John had the splendid courage to of Israel a.e a nation. When he preached strike boldly at the very root of Jewish it was a.bout A.D. 30-32. pride. Gradually Jewish belief in the Ver. 10.-And the people asked him, say- especial favour of God, which they were to ing, What shall we do then t Dean Plump- enjoy throngh all eternity, had grown up tre's note Lere is interesting and suggestive: till it resulted in such extravagant expres- " The questiona that follow a.re peculiar to sions as these : "Abraham would sit at the St. Luke. They a.re interesting as ehowing1 gates of hell, and would not permit any cir- that the work of the Baptist we.a not that of cumcised L,raelite of decent moral character e. mere preacher of repentance. Oonfession to enter it;" "A single Israelite is worth of sins followed naturally on the po.rt of the more in God's sight than e.ll the ns.tions penitents; that was followed, as naturally, of the world; " "The world was me.de by guidance for the conscience. St. Luke, for their (Israel's) sake." This incredible 81! a physician of the soul, may well have arroge.ucy grew as their earthly fortunes delighted to place on record this example became darker and darker. Only an eternity of true spiritual thempeutics." The se.me of bliss, of which they a.lone were to be tre.in of thought is followed out by Godet partakers, could make up for the woes they in his remark on the question contnined in were me.de to suffer here, while e.n eternity this verse: " It is the confessional after of anguish for tile Gentile world outside preaching." This little section (vere. Israel was a nee<·ssary vengeance for the 10-14), containing e.n epitome of questions indignities this Gen tile world had inflicted ple.ced before John by different classes of upon the chosen people. Long a.go the hearers touched by his soul-stirring pree.ch- great Hebrew prophets had warned the ing, is peculiar to our evangelist. It is clear de] uded race that their election would profit the.t here, in the story of the ministry of the them nothing if they failed in their duties Baptist, Luke derived his knowledge of the to their God e.nd their neighbour. J!'or I details from an independeut authority not 1111,y 1llltO you, That God ii e.ble ot these lltoD81 used either by Matthew or Mark. to re.iBe up ohildren 1lllto Abraham; pointing, Ver. 11.-He that bath two ooats, let no doubt, to the rough shingle lying on the him impart to him that bath none i e.nd river Jordan's banks. John's thought was he tbe.t bath meat, M him do likewise. these.me wLich Paul e.fterwe.rds expressed This advice is simple and practical. No to the Galatians in his 01,n ncrrnus lan- difficult counsels of perfection a.re recom- g-11ag1,, ·• K""" \'C- tl,n,•fnre llrnl tl1e_1· wlJi~h mPrnl,·d, no useless pens.nee. The great are of faith. tl,,- '·'"" i.r1; :!,e <'bildH11 fJf cou :·c,sor bim ply pros,cs home to Iii,; 1,cni• mt. m. 1-38.] TUE GOSPEL ACCOHT>ING TO BT. LUKE. 67