The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 90

the mountllin9, the ex!lltcd and proud; the crooked, the tortuous in Rin; the rongli ways, tile rugged and uncouth in nature. All the~e classeR, throngh ,John's preachi11g, are to be prepared for a sight of God's salvation in the Person of Messiah. How, then, did John try to prepare his generation for Jesus? By "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Now, this new rite introduced by John (cf. Godet, in loc.) was a tremendous indictment, so to speak, against human nature. It was as much e.s to say to every man," You need to be washed, entirely washed; you are so defiled, you aro sinners against God to such a degree that you must be not only washed and purified, but also pardoned, before you can take your places in the kingdom of Messiah." It was the proclamation to all his contemporaries that the one reformation needed in order to better times was self-reformation-reformation beginning at home in one's own bosom by the grace of God, as the most important preliminary to the reforma- tion of the world. Repentance has been well defined as a taking of God's side against ourselves; 1 and this was the spirit of John's reformation. It was a call to arms, but to arms against self, not against one's neigh hours. And it is here that every true reformer must begin. We must reform ourselves first by the grace of God, or we shr.ll be quite unequal to any large reformation in the world. III. TUE BAPTIST'S PREACHING WAS EXCEEDINGLY PLAIN AND PRACTICAL. (Vers. 7-9.) Luke here gives a resume of John's discourses. They were not certainly very conciliatory. 'l'hey did not mince matters. The vast multitude which came to hear him was, he knew, largely of the Pharisaic class. They were proud to be children of Abraham according to the flesh. They fancied this was sufficient to secure their acceptance with God. But in spite of their good pedigree they were venomous at heart, would sting a neighbour like a viper, and do the most unbrotherly things. Hence, as a faithful messenger from God, John tells his hearers what they are-but" a generation of vipers." He asks them further who has warned them to flee from "the wrath to come," that is, the judgments of Messiah? He exhorts them in such circum- stances to put away their fancied merit as children of Abraham, and to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, for in case they did not do so, they would be cut down a.nd cast into the fire. The" fruits" demanded were not, of course, graces of the Spirit, which they could not of themselves produce; but acts of reparation, of justice, and such like, which were fitted to show the better view they were taki10g of their previous life, an,! the amends it demanded at their bands. If sorrow for sin is genuine with us, it will work a reformation immediately in our conduct; we shall not do the old hard-hearted things we once were guilty of. Now, John, in thus dealing with the qnestionof human nature and its depravity, is an example to all our reformers. It is here that reforma- tion is required,2 and. the philosophy that fails here has no pretensions to the \eadershi p of the world. No wonder, therefore, that "pessimism" hangs like a nightmare on the boasted philosophy of the time, and men by philosophy alone cannot get rid of it. 3 IV. THE PRACTICAL ADVICE GIVEN TO DIFFERENT CLASSES BY JonN. (Vers.1O-14.) The real success of preaching is proved by inquirers. When people begin to ask what they must do, the message has begun to tell. Now, different classes became inquirers. They were from the lower ranks of the people. The Pharisees larg:ely declined baptism, as eh. vii. 30 shows. And: 1. The common people asked Joh1,'s advice as to what they should do. He tells them to be brotherly instead of grasping. He preached " frater- nity." He that had a second coat, or some meat to spare, would do well to impart to a needy brother. Co-operation in the battle of life is our first duty. 2. '111.e tax- gatherers ask what they should do. John tells them to avoid their easily besetting sin of extortion. In fact, here, as always, the gospel begins by antagonizing man's selfish impulses. 3, The soldiers also ask his advice. These are believed to have been soldiers on the march to a war in Arabia Petrma on behalf of Herod Antipas, and to have been caught at the fords of the Jordan by the wave of religious excitement which was surging there. The brave Baptist advises them to avoid (1) violence, (2) perjury, and (3) grumbling 11bout hotter wages. He thus sets each class to fight again!t its easily beset ting sine. 1 Cf. lllonsell'~ 'Religion of Redemption,' p. H. 1 Of. Graham's ' Oreed of Scionoe,' pp. 227-293. 1 Of. the admissions in • Natural Religion,' by the author of• Ecce Homo;' also i-11 Gru.ham, ul 1upra. W~ G  82 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. LUKE. [OR, m. 1-38.