saw it, (Mark 1. 10.) and John saw it, (John 1. 33, 34.) and it is probable that all the standers-by saw it; for this was intended to be his public inauguration. Observe,
(1.) The Spirit of God descended, and lighted on him. In the beginning of the old world, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, (Gen. 1. 2.) hovered as a bird upon the nest. So here, in the beginning of this new world, Christ, as God, needed hot to receive the Holy Ghost, but it was foretold that the Spirit of the Lord should rest upon him, (Isa. 11. 2.—61. 1.) and here he did so; for, [1.] He was to be a Prophet; and prophets always spake by the Spirit of God, who came upon them. Christ was to execute the prophetic office, not by his divine nature, (says Dr. Whitby,) but by the afflatus of the Holy Spirit. [2.] He was to be the Head of the church; and the Spirit descended upon him, by him to be derived to all believers, in his gifts, graces, and comforts. The ointment on the head ran down to the skirts; Christ received gifts for men, that he might give gifts to men.
(2.) He descended on him like a dove; whether it was a real, living dove, or, as was usual in visions, the representation or similitude of a dove, is uncertain. If there must be a bodily shape, (Luke 3. 22.) it must not be that of a man, for the being seen in fashion as a man was peculiar to the second person; none therefore was more fit than the shape of one of the fowls of heaven, (heaven being now opened,) and of all fowl none was so significant as the dove. [1.] The Spirit of Christ is a dove-like spirit; not like a silly dove, without heart, (Hos. 7. 11.) but like an innocent dove without gall. The Spirit descended, not in the shape of an eagle, which is, though a royal bird, yet a bird of prey, but in the shape of a dove, than which no creature is more harmless and inoffensive. Such was the Spirit of Christ; {{SIC|Ye|He)) shall not strive, nor cry; such must christians be, harmless as doves. The dove is remarkable for her eyes; we find that both the eyes of Christ, (Cant. 5. 12.) and the eyes of the church, (Cant. 1. 15.—4. 1.) are compared to doves' eyes, for they have the same spirit. The dove mourns much, (Isa. 38. 14.) Christ wept oft; and penitent souls are compared to doves of the valleys. [2.] The dove was the only fowl that was offered in sacrifice, (Lev. 1. 14.) and Christ by the Spirit, the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God. [3.] The tidings of the decrease of Noah's flood were brought by a dove, with an olive-leaf in her mouth; fitly therefore are the glad tidings of peace with God brought by the Spirit as a dove. It speaks God's good-will toward men; that his thoughts towards us are thoughts of good, and not of evil. By the voice of the turtle heard in our land, (Cant 2. 12.) the Chaldee paraphrase understands, the voice of the Holy Spirit. That God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, is a joyful message, which comes to us upon the wing, the wings of a dove.
3. To explain and complete this solemnity, there came a voice from heaven, which, we have reason to think, was heard by all that were present. The Holy Spirit manifested himself in the likeness of a dove, but God the Father by a voice; for when the law was given they saw no manner of similitude, only they heard a voice: (Deut 4. 12.) and so this gospel came, and gospel indeed it is, the best news that ever came from heaven to earth; for it speaks plainly and fully God's favour to Christ, and us in him.
(1.) See here how God owns our Lord Jesus; This is my beloved Son. Observe, [l.] The relation he stood in to him; He is my son. Jesus Christ is the Son of God by eternal generation, as he was begotten of the Father before all worlds, (Col. 1. 15. Heb. 1. 3.) and by supernatural conception; he was therefore called the Son of God, because he was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost; (Luke 1. 35.) yet this is not all; he is the Son of God by special designation to the work and office of the world's Redeemer. He was sanctified and sealed, and sent upon that errand, brought up with the Father for it, (Prov. 8. 30.) appointed to it; I will make him my First-born, Ps. 89. 27. [2.] The affection the Father had for him; He is my beloved Son; his dear Son, the Son of his love; (Col. 1. 13.) he had lain in his bosom from all eternity, (John 1. 18.) had been always his delight, (Prov. 8. 30.) but particularly as Mediator, and in undertaking the work of man's salvation, he was his beloved Son. He is mine Elect, in whom my soul delights. See Isa. 42. 1. Because he consented to the covenant of redemption, and delighted to do that will of God, therefore the Father loved him. John 10. 17.—3. 35. Behold, then, behold, and wonder, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that he should deliver up him that was the Son of his love, to suffer and die for those that were the generation of his wrath; nay, and that he therefore loved him, because he laid down his life for the sheep! Now know we that he loved us, seeing he has not withheld his Son, his only Son, his Isaac whom he loved, but gave him to be a Sacrifice for our sin.
(2.) See here how ready he is to own us in him: He is my beloved Son, not only with whom, but in whom, I am well-pleased. He is pleased with all that are in him, and are united to him by faith. Hitherto God had been displeased with the children of men, but now his anger is turned away, and he has made us accepted in the Beloved, Eph. 1. 6. Let all the world take notice, that this is the Peace-maker, the Days-man, who has laid his hand upon us both, and that there is no coming to God as a Father, but by him as Mediator, John 14. 6. In him our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable, for he is the Altar that sanctifies every gift, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Out of Christ, God is a consuming Fire, but, in Christ, a reconciled Father. This is the sum of the whole gospel; it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that God has declared, by a voice from heaven, that Jesus Christ is his beloved Son, in whom he is well-pleased, with which we must by faith cheerfully concur, and say, that he is our beloved Saviour, in whom we are well-pleased.
CHAP. IV.
John Baptist said concerning Christ, He must increase, but I must decrease; and so it proved. For, after John had baptized Christ, and borne his testimony to him, we hear little more of his ministry; he had done what he came to do, and thenceforward there is as much talk of Jesus as ever there had been of John. As the rising Sun advances, the morning star disappears. Concerning Jesus Christ we have in this chapter, I. The temptation he underwent, the triple assault the tempter made upon him, and the repulse he gave to each assault, v. 1..11. II. The teaching work he undertook, the places he preached in, (v. 12..16.) and the subject he preached on, v. 17. III. His calling of disciples, Peter and Andrew, James and John, v. 18..22. IV. His curing diseases, (v. 23, 24.) and the great resort of people to him, both to be taught and to be healed.
1.THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. 2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city,
Vol. v.—E
