from the Eaft to Jerufalem, faying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have feen his star 3 in the Eaft, and are come to do him homage. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, 4 and all Jerufalem with him. And having affembled all the chief priests and fcribes of the people, he enquired of them, Where the Chrift was to be born? 5 And they faid to him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for 6 thus it is written by the prophet, * And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art in no wife the leaft among the princes of Judah; for out of thee fhall come forth a Governor, who fhall rule my people If7 racl. Then Herod, having privately called the wife men, enquired of them with great exactness, at what fruits of the Gentiles: probably they were Gentile philofophers, who, through the divine affiftance, had improved their knowledge of nature, as a means of leading to the knowledge of the One, true God. Nor is it unreasonable to fuppofe, that God had favoured them with fome extraordinary revelations of himself, as he did Melchifedec, Job, and several "others, who were not of the family of Abraham; to which He never intended abfolutely to confine his favours. The title given them in the original, was antiently given to all philofophers, or men of learning; thofe particularly who were curious in examining the works of nature, and obferving the motions of the heavenly bodies. From the Eaft-So Arabia is frequently called in Scripture. It lay to the Eaft of Judea, and was famous for gold, frankincenfe, and myrrh. We have feen his ftar-Undoubtedly they had before heard Balaam's prophecy. And probably when they faw this unusual star, it was revealed to them that this prophecy was fulfilled. In the Eaft-That is, while we were in the East.' V. 2. To do him homage-To pay him that honour, by bowing to the earth before him, which the Eastern nations used to pay to their Monarchs. V. 4. The chief Priefs-That is, not only the High-Prieft and his Deputy, with those who formerly had borne that office; but also the chief man in each of thofe twenty-four courses, into which the body of The Scribes were thofe whole Priefts were divided, Chron. xxiv. 10. peculiar bufinefs it was, to explain the Scriptures to the people. They were the public Preachers, or Expounders of the Law of Mofes. Whence the chief of them were called Doctors of the Law. V. 6. Thou art in no wife the least among the princes of Judah-That is, among the cities belonging to the princes or heads of thousands in Judah. When this and feveral other quotations from the Old Teftament are compared with the original, it plainly appears, the Apostles did not always think it neceffary, exactly to tranfcribe the paffages they cited, but contented themfelves with giving the general fenfe, though with fome diverfity of language. The words of Micah which we render, Though And then the difference thop be little, may be rendered, Art thou little? which feems to be here between the Prophet and the Evangelist vanishes Away. V. 8. And Micah v, 9 8 time the ftar appeared: And fending them to Bethle hem, he faid, Go, enquire exactly concerning the young child, and if ye find him, bring me word again, that I allo may come, and do him homage. And having heard the king, they departed; and lo the ftar which they had seen in the Eaft, moved on before them, till it came and flood over where the young child was 10 And feeing the ftar, they rejoiced with exceeding great 11 joy. And being come into the house, they faw the young child, with Mary his mother; and falling down, they did him homage. And opening their treasures, they prefented to him gifts, gold, frankincenfe, and 12 myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream, not to return to Herod, they retired into their own country another way. 13 And when they had retired, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth to Jofeph in a dream, faying, Arife, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and continue there till I fhall tell thee; for 14 Herod will feek the young child to destroy him. And he arofe, and took the young child and his mother by 15 night, and retired into Egypt, And continued there till the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken of the Lord by the prophet, faying, + Out 16 of Egypt have I called my fon. Then Herod, fecing V. 8. And if ye find him, bring me word-Probably, Herod did not believe he was born: otherwife would not fo fufpicious a Prince have tried to make fure work at once? V. 10. Seeing the ftar-Standing over where the child was. V. 11. They prefented to him gifts-It was cuftomary to offer fome prefent, to any eminent perfon whom they vifited. And fo it is, as travellers obferve, in the Eaftern countries to this day. Gold, frankin cenfe, and myrrh-Probably thefe were the best things their country afforded; and the prefents ordinarily made to great perfons. This was a moit seasonable providential affiftance, for a long and expensive journey into Egypt, a country where they were entirely ftrangers, and were to ftay for a confiderable time. v. 15. That it might be fulfilled-That is, whereby was fulfilled. The original word frequently fignifies, not the defign of an action, but barely the confequence or event of it. Which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet on another occafion: out of Egypt have I called my Son-which was now fulfilled as it were anew; Chrift being in a far higher fenfe the Son of God, than Ifrael, of whom the words were originally spoken. V. 16. Then Herod, feeing that he was deluded by the wife men--So did his pride teach him to regard this action, as if it were intended to expofe him to the derifion of his fubjects Sending forth-A party of foldiers: In all the confines thereofIn all the neighbouring places, of which Rama V. 17. Then was one. B 2 + Hofea xi. 1. that he was deluded by the wife men, was exceeding wroth, and fending forth, flew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the confines thereof, from two years old and under; according to the time 17 which he had exactly enquired of the wife men. Then was fulfilled that which was fpoken by Jeremiah the 18 prophet, faying, * In Rama there was a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be com19 forted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a 20 dream to Jofeph in Egypt, faying, Arife, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Ifrael; for they are dead who fought the young child's 21 life. And he arofe and took the young child and his 22 mother, and came into the land of Ifrael. But having heard, Archelaus reigneth over Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither, and being warned of God in a dream, he turned afide into 23 the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Naza rene. III. § In thofe days cometh John the Baptist, preaching V. 17. Then was fulfilled-A passage of Scripture, whether prophetic, hiftorical, or poetical, is in the language of the New Teftament fulfilled when an event happens to which it may with great propriety be ac commodated. V. 18 Rachel weeping for her children-The Benjamites, who inhabited Rama, fprung from her. She was buried near this place; and is here beautifully reprefented, rifen, as it were out of her grave, and be wailing her loff children. Because they are not-that is, are dead. The prefervation of Jefus from this deftruction, may be confidered as a figure of God's care over his children in their greatest danger. God does not often, as he cally could, cut off their perfecutors at a stroke: but he provides a hiding-place for his people, and by methods not lefs effectual, though lefs pompous, preferves them from being fwept away, even when the enemy.comes in like a flood. V. 22. He was afraid to go thither-Into Judea; and fo turned afide into the region of Galilee-a part of the land of Ifrael not under the jurif diction of Archelaus. V. 23. He came and dwelt in Nazareth (Where he had dwelt before he went to Bethlehem) a place contemptible to a proverb. So that hereby was fulfilled what had been spoken in effect, by feveral of the prophets (though by none of them in exprefs words) He shall be called a Nazarene that is, He fhall be defpifed and rejected, fhall be a mark of public con. tempt and reproach. V. In those days-That is, while Jefus dwelt there. * Jer. xxxi. 15. Mark i. 1. Luke iii. 1. In the wilder ness -2 in the wilderness of Judea, And faying, Repent ye; 3 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Ifaiah, faying, || The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye 4 the way of the Lord, make his paths ftraight. And this John had his raiment of camels hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locufts and 5 wild honey. Then went out to him Jerufalem and all 6 Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confeffing, their fins. nefs of Judea-This was a wilderness properly fo called, a wild, barren defolate place, as was that also where our Lord was tempted. generally fpeaking, a wilderness in the New Teftament, means only a Common, or lefs cultivated place, in oppofition to paflure and arable land. But V. 2 The kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God, are but two phrafes for the fame thing. They mean, not barely a future happy ftate in heaven, but a state to be enjoyed on earth: the proper difpofition for the glory of heaven, rather than the poffeffion of it. Is at hand-As if he had faid, God is about to erect that kingdom, fpoken of by Daniel, (ch. ii 44. and vii. 13, 14.) the kingdom of the God of heaven. It properly fignifies here, The Gofpel Difpenfation, in which fubjects were to be gathered to God by his Son, and a Society to be formed, which was to fubfift firft on earth, and afterwards with God in glory. In fome places of Scripture, the phrase more particularly denotes the ftate of it on earth: in others, it fignifies only the ftate of glory: but it generally includes both. The Jews understood it of a temporal kingdom, the feat of which they fuppofed would be Jerufalem; and the expected Sovereign of this kingdom, they learned from Daniel to call the Son of Man. Both John the Baptift and Chrift, took up that phrafe, the kingdom of heaven, as they found it, and gradually taught the Jews, (though greatly unwilling to learn) to understand it right. The very demand of repontance, as previous to it, fhewed it was a fpiritual kingdom, and that no wicked man, how politic, brave, or learned foever, could poffibly be a fubject of it. V. 3. The way of the Lord-Of Chrift. Make his paths ftraight-By removing every thing which might prove an hindrance to his gracious appearance. V. 4 John had his raiment of camels hair-Coarfe and rough, fuiting his character and doctrine. A leathern girdle-Like Elijah, in whole Spirit and power he came. His food was locufts and wild honey-Locusts are ranked among clean meats, Lev. xi. 22. But thefe were not always to be had. So in default of thofe, he fed on wild honey. V. 6. Confeffing their fins-Of their own accord; freely and openly. 'Such prodigious numbers could hardly be baptized by immerging their whole bodies under water: nor can we think they were provided with change of raiment for it, which was scarce practicable for fuch vat multitudes. And yet they could not be immerged naked with modefty, nor in their wearing apparel with fafety. It feems therefore, that they flood in ranks on the edge of the river, and that John paffing along be fore them, caft water on their heads or faces, by which means he might B 3 faiah xl, 3. baptize 9 7 But feeing many of the Pharifees and Sadducees coming to his baptifm, he faid to them, Ye brood of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: And fay not confidently within yourselves, We have Abraham to our Father; for I fay unto you, God is able of these ftones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 But the axe also already lieth at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, 11 is hewn down and caft into the fire. I indeed baptize baptize many thousands in a day. And this way moft naturally fignified Chrift's baptizing them with the Holy Ghoft, and with fire, which John fpoke of, as prefigured by his baptizing with water, and which was eminently fulfilled, when the Holy Ghoft fat upon the disciples in the appearance of tongues, or flames of fire. V. 7. The Pharifees were a very ancient fect among the Jews. They took their name from an Hebrew word, which fignifies to feparate, becaufe they separated themselves from all other men. They were outwardly ftrict obfervers of the law, fafted often, made long prayers, rigorously kept the Sabbath, and paid all tithe, even of mint, anife, and cummin. Hence they were in high esteem among the people. But inwardly, they were full of pride and hypocrify. The Sadducees were another fect among the Jews, only not fo conAiderable as the Pharifees. They denied the existence of angels, and the immortality of the foul, and by confequence the refurrection of the dead. Ye brood of vipers-In like manner, the crafty Herod is ftiled a Fox, and perfons of infidious, ravenous, prophane, or fenfual difpofitions, are named refpectively by him who faw their hearts, ferpents, dogs, wolves, and fwine. Terms, which are not the random language of paffion, but a judicious defignation of the perfons meant by them. For it was fitting fuch men fhould be marked out, either for a caution to others, or a warning to themselves. V. 8. Repentance is of two forts; that which is termed legal, and that which is filed evangelical repentance. The former (which is the fame that is fpoken of here) is, A thorough conviction of fin. The latter is, A change of heart (and confequently of life) from all fin to all holiness. V. 9. And Jay not confidently-The word in the original, vulgarly rendered, Think not, seems here, and in many places, not to diminish, but rather add to the force of the word with which it is joined. We have Abraham to our father—It is almost incredible, how great the prefumption of the Jews was, on this their relation to Abraham. One of their famous fayings was, "Abraham fits near the gates of hell, and fuffers no Ifraelite to go down into it " I fay unto you-This preface always denotes the importance of what follows. Of these flones-Probably pointing to those which lay before them. V. 1o. But the axe alfo already lieth-That is, There is no room for fuch idle pretences. Speedy execution is determined against all that do not repent. The comparifon feems to be taken from a Woodman, that has laid down his axe, to put off his coat, and then immediately goes to work to cut down the tree. This refers to the wrath to come in the 7th verfe. Is hewn down-Inftantly, without farther delay. V. 11. He fhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with fire-He fhall fill |