according to the opinion of an * able critic on the original text, implies the certainty and near approach of the vengeance denounced; and upon comparing this prophecy with others, 'ftrictly parallel, in the old Teftament, it may seem moft probable, that the ruin of the Jewish state and people, is alone predicted in it.

But this claufe has a different tenor. οὗ τὸ πλύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αυτό if the verb be fupplied, in the fame tenfe, which runs through the reft of the verfe, it must be rendered, "whofe fan will be in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather his wheat into the garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

If this be allowed, our view will not be fo immediately confined, as it was in the former clause, to one, and that an imminent, act of the Meffiah's judicial power; but may be carried forward to another, and a more remote, exercise of it.

k Schmid. ad. 1.

m

Ifaiah x. 33, 34.—Micah iii. 12.

Pofteriora hujus commatis verba, de colligendis frugibus

et comburendis paleis, ad ultimi judicii dien pertinent, ut apparet ex collatione verb. Christi infra xiii. 30. 49.

ad 1.

Grot.

To

If to this it be added, that he shall purge his floor, "thoroughly," daxalapa, and not in a limited manner, the act intended may feem, not national only, but univerfal; and, fince the fire of his vengeance is called "unquenchable," the judgement, to which the clause relates, may appear final and irreversible. On these accounts then, the paffage may be imagined to have a farther view, than barely to the deftruction of the holy city, and the rejection of the Jews; both of which events, as the prophecies of Chrift, and St. Paul, feem to intimate, will expire when the times. of the Gentiles fhall be fulfilled.

Upon the whole, the claufe, under immediate confideration, apparently surpasses the former, and contains a more enlarged prediction. The foregoing prophecy refpected the ruin of Ifrael folely; the latter, has poffibly the fame relation, in a primary meaning, but at the fame time extends, in an ultimate sense, to the Meffiah's judgement of all the world. And perhaps the prophecy, which Chrift himself afterwards delivered, of his approaching vengeance upon Ifrael, had the same respect to his real and perfonal coming to inflict final punishment upon all his enemies.

There

There is also another material difference between the two paffages. The Baptist had. before declared that vengeance impended upon Ifrael; he now not only denounces it to all the adverfaries of the Meffias, but also represents it as inflicted by him; the fan and the floor are his, as Lord of the harveft; he will gather and he will burn.

Thus alfo the writer to the Hebrews afcribes to the Meffiah, as his proper and personal prerogative, an infallible and irreversible judgement, and the infliction of vengeance. For he had, as a fon, the adminiftration of all things over his own house, and, as such, had promised a reft to the faithful; but to them, who grieved him with their unbelief, he faid in his wrath," they fhall not enter into my reft." In this chapter to the Hebrews, and in the clauses of the baptismal doctrine, now under confideration, admiffion to the kingdom of God, and exclufion from it, are reprefented as dependent upon the "Meffiah, as Judge of all.

Here St. Matthew finishes the account of the baptifmal doctrine of John, before the coming of Jefus to Jordan. St. Luke adds,

"and many other things, in his exhortation, preached he unto the people." But if that Evangelift had not already given the fubftance of them, he probably would have extended the account. It may therefore be presumed, that what has been already confidered, forms a juft compendium of the baptismal doctrine, delivered in that interval, however the Baptist might enlarge and illuftrate it, upon frequent calls to repeat it.

He has displayed the character of the Meffiah, by four capital attributes; by his mighty power; by his tranfcendent dignity; by his baptifm with the Holy Ghost, as a Prieft; and by his judicial authority, as a King, to be exercised erelong over Ifrael, and finally over the whole world. And from the amount of the baptismal doctrine, hitherto confidered, it appears, that his knowledge, of the nature and purpose of the Gofpel, and of the attributes and offices of the Meffias, far exceeded that of the Apostles, till the fame divine Spirit, which inftructed and guided the Baptift, had also shed his influence them.

upon

After

After this illustration of the prophetical testimony of John to the Meffias, I proceed, in the last place, to fhew, that it was delivered, while he remained unknown to the Baptift.

Before John had attained that age, • which the law appointed for entering upon a priestly function, it may be reasonably presumed, that he did not receive a command to baptize, and knew not the fubftance of the doctrine, which he afterwards delivered. "He was in the wilderness, till the day of his fhewing unto Ifrael;" there it was, that the word of the Lord came unto him; and, in pursuance of that divine miffion, he began to exercise his office' there, whilft Jefus continued at Nazareth in Galilee.

After the Baptist had preached in the hillcountry of the wilderness of Judæa, near to Hebron, the supposed place of his nativity, and education, he came into the region' about Jordan, where Jerufalem, and all Judæa, went out to him, and were baptized.

24.

Numb. iv. 3.-1 Chron. xxiii. 3.

P What went ye out into the wilderness to fee? Luke vii.

4 Matth. ii. 23, compared with iii. 1.

Luke iii. 4.

• Matth. iii.

5.