439 the evangelift ftill preserves between an eternal, and a limited, exiftence; expreffing the former always by . For with refpect to human nativity, John was indeed before Jefus. But this declaration has been already explained *. The harbinger calls his Lord the Son of God, in relation alfo to what he faw, as the emblem of perfonal dignity: He that fent me to baptize with water, the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt fee the Spirit defcending, and remaining on him, the fame is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft, ver. 33. The vifible descent of the Spirit, and his refting on Jesus, was to John the proof of his being that illuftrious Person who had power to communicate the gifts, and graces of the Spirit: and this power was to him so satisfying a proof of deity, that he immediately bare record that this is the, or more literally, that Son of God, ver. 34. He evidently refers to the teftimony of the Father concerning him, This is my beloved Son; and perhaps to his own previous teftimony with refpect to priority of exift ence. The Baptift could not mean merely to declare that Jefus was the Chrift, or one anointed. The account which he gives of the character of that perfon in whom this fign was to be fulfilled, as this character was divinely expreffed to him, and of his own inference from it, precludes this idea. For as the term Chrift is paffive, had Jefus been pointed out merely in this refpect, the language ought to have been, The fame is he who is baptized. It, indeed, belongs to the Meffiah, as he is described in scripture, to anoint or baptize with the Holy Ghoft. But this belongs to him, only as his office presupposes a character originally divine. To these words, with the Holy Ghoft, the Evangelists Matthew and Luke fubjoin, and with fire, Mat. iii. 11. Luke iii. 16. While we have here a prediction of what E e 4 fhould See above, p. 144. should be the external fymbol of the effufion of the Spirit on the difciples, (A&s ii. 3.), there is undoubtedly a reference to fomething, under the Old Teftament, of a typical nature. Some apprehend, that there is an allufion to the cloud in which the Ifraelites are said to have been baptized into Mofes. It was not only a pillar of cloud for refreshing them, but of fire for giving light, and as a pledge of the destruction of their enemies. Thus, it may be viewed as a ftriking figure of the operations of the Spirit, who not only refreshes the fouls of all true Ifraelites, but confumes their spiritual foes. Others think that there is a reference to what was done, in vifion, to the prophet Isaiah. His lips were touched with a live coal, as a token of the removal of his iniquity, chap. vi. 6, 7. †. But to which foever of these the allufion is, the words contain a proof of the deity of the person to whom they apply. Is the pillar of cloud and fire referred to? Then, an Almighty agent is intended. For I, faith JEHOVAH, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, Zech. ii. 5. Is the symbol of Ifaiah's purification alluded to? The inference is the fame. For it is JEHOVAH who wafbes away the filth of the daughter of Zion,-by the Spirit of burning, Our Lord is faid to baptize with fire, which is of a most subtile and penetrating nature, to denote the divine energy and efficacy of his work on the heart. Jefus is here exhibited as that Wisdom who had faid to his church of old; I will pour out my Spirit unto you, Prov. i. 23. as that JEHOVAH who had promised; I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, Joel ii. 28. For the ufe of water in baptifm is an emblem of this divine effufion: and the work is exprefsly afcribed to our Saviour, with the application of this very promise last mentioned; He hath shed forth this, which ye now fee and hear, A&ts ii. 16, 17. 33. The Vid. Lampe in Joan i. 33. ↑ See Owen on the Spirit, p. 54. The work itself is a clear proof of his deity. It is to baptize with, pour out, or fbed forth the Holy Ghoft. Now, even according to the Socinian fyftem, which exhibits the Spirit as merely the virtue or power of God, this work of effufion certainly far tranfcends the rank or power that can rationally be supposed to belong, on any account whatsoever, to a mere creature. The poffeffor must first have an arm like God, and be able to thunder with a voice like him. It is to fupppofe a far ftranger mystery than that of the Trinity itself, to imagine a mere man capable of exercising all the power of God, and of difpenfing all his gifts and graces, with all that unspeakable variety, and that unerring exactnefs which is requifite in the government of the church. He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft, difpenfes his gifts and graces according to his own pleasure. Thence we' read of the measure of the gift of Chrift, Eph. iv. 7. The Son quickeneth whom he will, John v. 21. and therefore regulates all the means neceffary for this end, in a fovereign' manner. The Apostles afcribe the whole of their success to Jefus, and refolve the different degrees of it into the fovereignty of his will: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 1 Cor. iii. 5. The Holy Spirit is faid to be the Spirit of the Son, Gal. iv. 6. The language used in the paffage under confideration implies a conftancy of power, and therefore, a fovereignty of operation. The fame is be who BAPTIZETH. It is obferved that this is the fame as if it were faid, "This is the baptizer with the Holy Ghoft." But the fame fovereignty is afcribed to the Spirit: All these worketh that one and the self-fame Spirit, dividing to every man feverally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. Now, these things cannot be true, unlefs Jefus be really the Son of God, and fo his will and that of the Spirit be effentially one. In this very light does the Baptift contraft Jesus with bimfelf, as difplaying, in the cleareft manner, his own unfpeakable inferiority. The antithefis is more diftinctly ftated in Luke, (iii. 16.), I indeed baptize you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. John could only adminifter the ordinance of baptism unto repentance; as a fymbolical confeffion of this, and as a mean and feal of divine inftitution. But Jefus, faith he, fball baptize you with the Holy Ghoft, &c. he shall really purify the inward man. But this is a work peculiar to God. It is God who purifieth the heart, Acts xv. 9. And he only can do fo; for he alone knoweth it, ver. 8. The fuperior nature of this baptifm is the proof that John gives of Jefus being mightier than himself. It may be faid, that "although John could baptize with "water only, the Holy Ghost not being yet given, the "honour afcribed to Jefus was conferred on his followers, "who communicated the Spirit by the impofition of their "hands." But it is never once faid of any servant of Christ, how eminent foever, that he baptized with the Holy Ghoft. The difciples could pretend to nothing more than laptizing in or into his name. But it has been already proved that, in the communication of the Spirit, they were ufed merely as inftruments. The afcription of this spiritual baptism to Jesus is intimately connected with other characters of deity. For the Baptift immediately adds; Whofe fan is in his band, and be will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Mat. iii. 12. A real propriety in the church is here afcribed to Jefus. It is called his floor. But the church is the boufe of the living God. It is God's bufbandry. Thefe different expreflions convey the fame idea. Will any one fay, then, that the church is as really the See above, p. 316, 317. property of a mere mere man, as of the living God?-Divine juftice is reprefented as effential to Jefus. For it is not faid that God's fan, or fieve, is in Chrift's hand, but his own; whofe fan, 3c. -Omniscience is virtually ascribed to him. For he is faid to perform a work which neceffarily implies this perfection: He fball thoroughly purge bis floor.-Believers are described as peculiarly his property; and how could this be, if he were not their God? They are his wheat.-Heaven itself is his garner, Luke iii. 17.-To him is the eternal punishment of the wicked, as well as the beatification of the righteous, afcribed: He will gather his wheat-but the chaff be will burn with fire unquenchable. But this work is the divine prerogative. God himself is judge. It is our God, before whom a fire fball devour, Pfal. 1. 3. 6. It is God, who shall rain on the wicked fire and brimftone, Pfal. xi. 6. In the band of JEHOVAH is that cup, of which the wine is red. He it is who poureth out of the fame, Pfal. lxxv. 8. There is only one Lawgiver, who is able to fave, and to deftroy, Jam. iv. 12. None but a divine Perfon could be fit for this awful work. Only the omnifcient God could cer tainly discern between the chaff and the wheat. My God! I appeal from the judgment of a man like myself. By thy decifion only will I ftand. So fmall is the grain of precious -feed in this heart, that, were I to be judged by the moft difcerning creature, he would be in danger of fweeping it away with the chaff, 4. The confeffion of Martha correfponds with thofe which we have already confidered. She profeffed her faith in Jesus, as that Son of God who was himself the Life, and who could fovereignly communicate life to others. Before our Lord entered into difcourfe with her, the believed that, by his prefence, he could have prevented the death of Lazarus. For this was her falutation; Lord, if thou hadft been here, my brother had not died, John xi. 21. She at the |