This evangelist abounds in parentheses, or short explicatory clauses and passages; one of which occurs here. It appears to me to extend from the 6th to the 9th verse inclusive; and it is introduced for the purpose of confirming the divine dispensation through the Word, by the independent testimony and authority of John, who had received a special commission for this purpose: "He came for a witness." Therefore, for preserving the continuity of the sense without interruption, we must join v. 5th with v. 10th. This is necessary both to the sense and construction. Griesbach closes the parenthesis with the 8th v. in which I cannot help thinking that he is mistaken.

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John the Baptist was divinely commissioned to foretel the speedy advent of the Messiah, to bear witness concerning him, and to point out his person. The expression used" sent from God"-is appropriate to signify the divine appointment of a prophet. In Matthew (iii. 1.) the expression is, "In those days came John the Baptist;" in Mark (i. Behold, I send my Messenger before thy face"; and in Luke (iii. 2.) "The word of God came to John, &c.". This phraseology, used to express a prophet's divine commission, was, in like manner applied to our Lord's extraordinary divine mission. Joh. vii. 28. 66 am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true :" and it is also used of the sub

2.)

ordinate mission of the apostles. John xvii. 18. "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." See John v. 36, 43.*

In the prophetic mission of a Forerunner we see the peculiar honour conferred on Jesus Christ. A prophet was sent before him for the express purpose of "preparing the way" for his advent. On no other divine Messenger was so great an honour conferred. No especial messenger was sent before the face of any other revealer of the counsels of the Most High, to " prepare the way of the Lord." For this reason, it is literally true, that all "the angels [envoys] of God worshipped him," [that is, made obeisance, shewed deference to him:] Heb. i. 6. So that pre-eminence:" Col. i. 18. phets witness:" Acts x. 43.

"in all things he had the "To him gave all the pro

He also had the honour of

appointing subordinate ministers or messengers, who magnified their office" as the apostles of Christ.

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VERSE THE SEVENTH.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light;" that all men through him might believe.°

n John, when Christ was baptized, bore open testimony concerning him, that he was the Son of God, the Christ.

That men might have sufficient evidence to believe.

COMMENTARY.

"He came for a testimony."-The mission of John was intended not only to do homage to Christ, as the greatest of all the divine messengers, but also to fur

See Appendix, Note VII.

nish his countrymen with all possible evidence of his divine mission. God, out of his gracious regard for the descendants of his chosen servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, furnished the Jews with the most incontestible evidence of the divine authority of the character assumed by Jesus Christ. Besides the irrefragable

proofs, which our Saviour's miracles and doctrines, and the ancient prophecies concerning him afforded, proofs which were continually exhibited, as occasion called for them, in the course of his ministry, a most solemn attestation was borne to his divine credentials by an especial messenger, charged with an express mission.

Much has been said about the nature of John's official character, and that of the baptism which he administered. In cases of this nature it is best to follow the record as closely and faithfully as possible; and where the record is so clear, as it appears in this case, all reasonable curiosity is satisfied without much difficulty.

According to the statements of the evangelical historians, John came in the character of a divinely commissioned prophet for the following general purposes: to foretel the speedy advent of the great prophet to come, Jesus Christ, and of a new economy of divine administration, according to the predictions of the prophets : to accompany his declaration with the newly instituted rite of baptism—" the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins:" to give important intimations of the nature of the kingdom of heaven, as a moral and spiritual institution and upon the discovery of the person of the Messiah to point him out to his countrymen. It will be of some use, however, to take a more particular view

:

of the accounts given by the evangelists themselves. In Matthew (iii. 11, 12) the specific testimony which John bore to Christ is as follows: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." In Mark it is very similar, but a little briefer. See Mark i. 7, 8. Luke's also is nearly in the same words. See Luke iii. 16, 17. In John the testimony of the Baptist in direct reference to Christ is more ample. See Joh. i. 27, 29-36. "I baptize with water; but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose......The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending, and remaining upon him, the same is he who baptizeth with the holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record, that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day after, John stood and two of his

disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God."

It appears from the passages above selected, that the leading object of John's mission was to predict the near advent of the Messiah, and to point him out personally, being till then unknown. He gave, it is true, some intimations concerning the nature of his office, and the dignity of his character. But he affirmed nothing specific about the physical constitution of his person. He spoke of him, however, as a man, (Joh. i. 30.) in the same manner as one would naturally do in speaking of any individual human being. Some indeed suppose, that the casual expression groovy, for he was before me, refers clearly to his pre-existence, if not to his supreme deity. But I refer the consideration of this clause to its proper place; and I shall here only remark, that Paul refers twice to this passage, quoting it almost literally, without the least notice of this clause, or its assumed import. Acts xiii. 25. "And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Who think ye that I am? I am not he; but, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose," ch. xix. 4. "Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance; saying unto the people, that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus." This omission is very remarkable, if the orthodox doctrine be true. Another circumstance too is worthy of notice. Although he had borne this testimony to Christ, John, at a subsequent period, sent two of his disciples to him, on purpose to make this important enquiry, (Matt. xi. 3.) " Art thou he that should