commentators.

intelligible to the Jews. I need not adduce the arguments in proof that this application of the passage is correct, inasmuch as there is such a universal agreement on the subject, among standard In sermons and exhortations, a different interpretation is often given, but few are found willing to risk their reputation for biblical knowledge, by disputing, publicly, what is so abundantly asserted in the following extracts:

HAMMOND.

'But now are God's judgments come home to this people, and ready to seize upon the whole nation, and shall actually fall upon every unreformed sinner among you.' Para. in loc.

PEARCE. 6 Vengeance is about to be taken upon the Jewish nation, (ver. 17, and Matt. iii. 10.)' Com. in Luke iii. 9.

ASSEMBLY'S ANNOTATIONS. "See on Matt. iii. 10. The metaphor showed them that the instruments of their destruction (such as were Titus and Vespasian) were near, and should quickly execute, except they repented,' &c. Annot. in Luke iii. 9.

POOLE'S ANNOTATIONS. 'A prediction, as some think, of that dreadful destruction which within a few years came, by the Romans, upon the whole Jewish nation. Whether it be to be understood of the judgment common to all unbelievers, all that know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, or of the particular destruction of this nation of the Jews, I shall not determine, though I rather judge the latter probable.' Annot. in loc.

BEAUSOBRE AND LENFANT. 'See Isa. x. 33, 34. In this place, John the Baptist predicts the entire destruction of the temple, the city, and the nation, which came to pass about forty years after the death of Jesus Christ.' Com. in loc.

LIGHTFOOT. These words seem to be taken from Isa. x. 33, 34. The destruction of the nation was to proceed from the Romans, who had now a great while held them under the yoke. The axe now laid to the root of the tree shall certainly cut it down, if, from this

last dressing by the gospel, it bears not fruit. In the Talmud, those words of Isaiah are applied to the destruction of the city.' Heb. et Talm. Exerc. in loc.

Again, the same writer says, 'This phrase may be understood as comparing the ruin of the Jews here threatened, with those desolations they had felt before: for then, as at the captivity of Babylon, for example, they were not utterly cut off from their land forever, but had a promise of returning, and returned, and were planted there again; but now, the vengeance threatened must strike at the very root, and quite destroy them from being a nation forever, and from all hope of returning to their country any more. By the axe being now laid to the root of the trees, may fitly be understood,-1. The certainty of their desolation; and, 2. The nearness; in that the instrument of their destruction was already prepared, and brought close to them, the Romans that should ruin their city and nation, being already masters and rulers over them.' Harm. of Evan. sec. ix.

CLARKE. 'It was customary with the prophets to represent the kingdoms, nations, and individuals, whose ruin they predicted, under the notion of forests and trees, doomed to be cut down. (See Jer. xlvi. 22, 23; Ezek. xxxi. 3, 11, 12.) The Baptist follows the same metaphor: the Jewish nation is the tree, and the Romans the axe, which, by the just judgment of God, was speedily to cut it down. It has been well observed, that there is an allusion here to a woodman, who, having marked a tree for excision, lays his axe at its root, and strips off his outer garment, that he may wield his blows more powerfully, and that his work may be quickly performed. For about sixty years before the coming of Christ, this axe had been lying at the root of the Jewish tree, Judea having been made a province to the Roman empire, from the time that Pompey took the city of Jerusalem, during the contentions of the two brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, which was about sixty-three years before the coming of Christ. (See Josephus Antiq. 1. xiv. c. 1-5.) But as the country might be still considered as in the hands of the Jews, though subject to the Romans, and God had waited on them now nearly ninety years from

the above time, expecting them to bring forth fruit, and none was yet produced; but he kept the Romans, as an axe, lying at the root of this tree, who were ready to cut it down the moment God gave the commission.' Com. in loc.

KENRICK. 'The national calamities with which you are threatened are no light evils, but such as, if you do not repent, shall be like cutting up the tree by the roots; for as barren trees, which bring forth no fruit, are hewn down and cast into the fire, so shall it be with you, if you perform not good works: your kingdom shall be overthrown, and the inhabitants of the land utterly extirpated.' Expos. in loc.

I here remark, once for all, that I have not been anxious to multiply authorities on those passages which, like this, contain parables. For an exposition of the true meaning of this class of texts, the reader is referred to 'Notes on the Parables,' by Rev. H. Ballou, and 'Notes and Illustrations of the Parables,' by Rev. T. Whittemore. Of the work last named, a new and much improved edition has been published, since the first edition of these Selections appeared. In addition to full original expositions of the parables, Mr. Whittemore has given copious extracts from orthodox commentators, illustrating and sustaining his views.

SECTION IV.

'Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.' MATT. iii. 12.

THE parallel place is Luke iii. 17. In these words, the Baptist represents the same temporal

judgment of which he had before spoken, with this addition he had before described only judgment and desolation, but he here speaks also of mercy and preservation. The meaning is, that

when the Son of man should come to judge the Jewish nation for their sins, those who believed in him, and gave diligent heed to his commandments, should be preserved from harm, while vengeance to the uttermost would come on the unbelieving, persecuting Jews. The event proved the truth of the prediction; for, while the faithful escaped, the obdurate Jews, almost to a man, were either destroyed by death, at the overthrow of their chief city by the Romans, or carried into captivity. As they suffered such a total destruction, from which, as a nation, they have not at this day recovered, (and God only knoweth when the period of their dispersion shall be accomplished,) the fire might well be said to be unquenchable; or, which is the same thing, the vengeance was effectual. The following extracts will show in what light others have viewed this parable:

PEARCE. 'In this whole verse, the destruction of the Jewish state is expressed in the terms of husbandmen; and by the wheat's being gathered into the garner, seems meant that the believers in Jesus should not be involved in the calamity." Com. in loc.

HAMMOND. After illustrating the manner in which the eastern nations winnowed grain, and noticing some other things to which this passage alludes, Dr. Hammond closes his note thus:According to this notion of winnowing, and burning the chaff, this verse accords with the general matter of John Baptist's preaching, viz. Christ's rich promises of all merciful reception, and preservation to those that shall repent and receive the gospel; and threatening of all judgments upon the impenitent Jews, formerly expressed by the kingdom of God approaching, and again by the axe laid to the root of the

tree, ready to hew it down, and that attended with casting into the fire, as here the chaff is with burning with fire unquenchable. And so it was fulfilled on the Jews even in this life, (as it was oft foretold,) the godly true penitents that received Christ, through these tribulations, were preserved, when the rest that could not bear, or hold out the trial, all that the wind of temptation, false doctrines, &c. carried away, were generally destroyed; the corn laid up in a garner, and the chaff devoured with the fire.' Annot. in loc.

LIGHTFOOT. This theological giant applies this passage to the circumstances of the Jews, not precisely like the authors before cited, but arrives at very nearly the same conclusion, except that he understands gathering the wheat into the garner to mean the receiving of the righteous into a state of happiness after death. But it is to be observed, that he was not led to this conclusion by any thing existing in the text or even the context. But he imagined the parable of the wheat and tares implied the happiness and misery of different characters after death; and, supposing this parable of the fan to be somewhat similar, he judged such might be the spiritual meaning of this also. He does not, however, say that misery after death is here indicated, but only the future reward of the righteous. Were it not for the circumstance already named, he says, 'Seeing that the main intent of the verse is to show forth the destruction of Jerusalem, as is proved before, by these words might well be understood the care and charge that God took of his faithful ones in that ruin, when by the warning voice in the temple, that said, Migremus hinc, let us flit hence, he removed them to Pella, far enough distant from the danger.' Harm. Evan. sec. ix.

Thus it would seem, that, taking the passage in its own immediate connexion, Dr. Lightfoot thought it plainly referred to the temporal destruction of the unbelieving Jews, and the preservation of the believers; and he was induced to think it might have a different application, only by fancy