Matthew 3

Matthew 3:4

And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

And the same John preached in those villages, which were scattered in the desert; living in an austere and retired fashion; being clothed in an unusual, rough, neglected habit, and feeding on such homely and voluntary diet as that wild place would afford; that, by this strange manner of his life, the minds of men might be raised to a conceit of some extraordinary matter, both in his person and message. III. 7, 8. O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: O ye Pharisees and Saducees, who are rather venomous serpents than men, so full are ye of despight and wickedness; how comes it about, that ye are grown thus spiritually wise, to seek thus seasonably to avoid the wrath and judgments of God to come, by betaking yourselves to this holy institution of baptism, and washing in this sacred laver of regeneration? Who hath put this into your hearts? Can this be any other, but a motion of the Spirit of God, whose blessed suggestions, if ye would follow to purpose, See that your repentance be serious and effectual: do not content yourselves with this formal profession, but bring forth such fruits, both of good affections and of good works, as may be meet for true penitents, and as will necessarily flow from true grace wrought in the heart.

Matthew 3:9

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Do not rest in this, or boast of it as an all-sufficient privilege, that Abraham is your father after the flesh: the thank of this is God’s, and not yours; neither is this any more than the power of God is able to do for these very stones of the wilderness, of which he is no less able to make children unto Abraham, than he was to make Adam of the clay, or Eve of his rib.

Matthew 3:10

And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Please not yourselves therefore with these pretences; but know, that now God intends to take a severe and round course, with all the hypocritical and fruitless professors of his Name: grant that Abraham is your root, and that ye are sprung up from him; yet know, that God’s judgment, like an axe, is now laid to you, to hew you down speedily, that ye may be cast into hell fire, if ye bring not forth good fruit, such as may beseem the trees that grow from such a root.

Matthew 3:11

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.

I indeed, as being a mere man, can only apply unto you the outward sign of baptism, which is a sacrament of repentance and spiritual regeneration; and can go no further: but the great Messiah of the World, whose forerunner I am, and whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, hath a power infinitely above mine: he shall confer upon you the inward graces of his Spirit, which is of a purging and cleansing quality; and shall so work upon your souls, as the fire doth upon metals: which Spirit of his, shall, on the day of Pentecost, descend upon your heads, in the forms of fiery tongues.

Matthew 3:12

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The Church of God is like a cornfloor, wherein there is not only wheat, but chaff, and straws, and dross, and much offal. The Messiah, whom I forerun, comes with a fan in his hand, whereby he will cleanse and purge his Church, by the effectual and powerful preaching of his Gospel, which shall seal up the good unto everlasting life; so as they, like unto pure wheat, shall be by him set apart for the garner of heaven: while the wicked, as the chaff and soil of the floor, shall be swept up, and cast by him into unquenchable fire.

Matthew 3:15

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

It is not for thee, to stand upon these points of the excel-

Matthew 3:16

And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.

And there was a visible kind of opening in the heaven, as if the curtain of the sky had been drawn; and a glorious brightness shewed itself, as it were, above the firmament; and He, who had before received the Spirit, not by measure, now that he was to enter upon the execution of this work of man’s redemption, He saw the Spirit of God descending upon him, in the form of a Dove, and lighting upon him; as in a gracious and public attestation from heaven, of the designation and enabling of him to so great a work.