what he said to them, and, instead of being stumbled at events very different from, in many cases directly opposite to, what their national prejudices, and misapprehension of Old Testament prophecy, had led them to anticipate, might find in these events a corroboration of his claims, and a confirmation of their own faith. "In this they partook of what may be considered as a general character of our Lord's teaching, the impressing indelibly, by parable, proverb, maxim, or seeming paradox, truths but very imperfectly understood, but which would grow clearer as the divine life was formed within, and become an ever-increasing source of spiritual light."

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To this remarkable class of passages referred to, our text obviously belongs. "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" These words must have excited eager attention, they must have been heard with deep interest, by those to whom they were originally spoken; but they could convey to their minds no very distinct meaning. The disciples must have felt equally that they could not understand them, and that they could not forget them. It was not long till the mystery was unfolded, the enigma solved. The event explained the prediction; and it then became evident at once why the prediction had been given, and why it had been given in so peculiar a form.

Let us endeavor, in the light of accomplishment, to ascertain the meaning of this very remarkable oracle. It naturally divides itself into two parts: the first referring to the design of our Lord's mission, and his feelings in reference to that design,- "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?" the second, to the means by which this end was to be accomplished, and his feelings with regard to these means,-"But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" I shall turn your attention shortly to these two parts of the divine oracle in their order.

I.—OF THE DESIGN OF OUR LORD'S MISSION, AND HIS FEELINGS IN REFERENCE TO IT.

Let us first, then, consider the view here given us of the design of our Lord's mission, and of his feelings with regard to this design. "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?"

And first, here, of the design of our Lord's mission,-“I am come to send fire on the earth." The design of our Lord's mission is often stated in plain terms by himself and his disciples. The substance of all these statements is, that he came to destroy ignorance and error, sin and misery-those works of the Devil, and

2 Neander.

3 "Ignis ille non est nativus terræ. Eis non év ut in versu 51.”—BENGEL.

make men wise, and good, and happy, by restoring them to the knowledge, and favor, and fellowship of God.

The description of the design of our Lord's mission contained in the text is highly figurative. The first step towards obtaining possession of any truth intended to be conveyed by a figure, is a distinct apprehension of the figure itself. Let us inquire, then, what is the literal meaning of the words rendered "I am come to send fire on the earth." It may mean-'I am come to cast fire on the earth, to strike the earth with lightning, to call down fire from heaven to consume its guilty inhabitants;' or, 'I am come to kindle a fire on earth.' Neither of these senses seems to be satisfactory. The first would naturally enough describe what shall be one design of our Lord's second coming, when he shall come "in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not his gospel." But whatever misery, through man's unbelief and impenitence, may be occasioned by our Lord's first coming, its design is wholly benignant;—" God sent not his Son into the world to condemn" or punish "the world; but that the world through him might be saved;" "I came not," says our Lord, "to judge," i. e., to condemn and punish, "the world, but to save the world." The second sense, that of kindling a fire on the earth-i. e., somewhere on its surface, whatever mystical meaning might be given to the words-seems at once too indefinite and too limited, to answer the exigencies of the passage.

I am disposed to think that the true literal meaning of the words is, 'I am come to set the earth on fire; I am come to produce a general conflagration.' If this be admitted to be the literal meaning of the terms, there can be very little difficulty in fixing on their spiritual signification. They indicate that his religion, his doctrine, accompanied by his Spirit, should rapidly, and at length universally, overspread the world, diffuse itself among mankind, and either thoroughly impregnate with its own spirit, or utterly consume, all human institutions,-purifying whatever will submit to purification, and destroying what is incapable of purification.

"Fire" is, in Scripture, the emblem both of the word and of the Spirit of God. "Is not my word a fire and a hammer, breaking the rock in pieces?" The cloven tongues of fire, the forked lightning flames, which sat on the heads of the apostles on the day of Pentecost, were appropriate representations of the rapid dissemination of the doctrines they were to propagate, and the powerful destructive energy, with which they were instinct, against all the varied forms of evil. In an Old Testament oracle, giving an account of the Father "bringing in his first-begotten into the world," -in other words, of Jesus Christ establishing, by divine power, his kingdom among men,-it is said, "Fire goeth before him." "His lightnings enlighten the world."" And in the Apocalypse, fire is said to proceed out of the mouth of the mystic witnesses,

4 2 Thess. i. 8.

6 Acts ii. 3.

5 John iii. 17; xii. 47.

7 Psal. xcvii. 3, 4.

8

who speak his truth under the influence of his Spirit, and to consume their and his enemies. The words before us, then, seem just equivalent to, 'My religion shall rapidly and irresistibly dif fuse itself among mankind; and wherever it does so, it shall, like a consuming fire, destroy ignorance and error, depravity and misery—those works of the devil-and utterly annihilate everything which counteracts its influence and opposes its progress.'

How remarkably has our Lord's declaration been accomplished! How striking is the fulfilment which even now is taking place! How rapidly did the sacred fire diffuse itself in the primitive ages! how did it purify! how did it consume! Where is "over-dated Judaism," and its magnificent temple? Where is pagan philosophy, with its groves and porticoes? Where is idolatry, with its innumerable shrines, and altars, and temples? Where is imperial Rome, with her invincible armies, and all but unbounded empire? They have been burnt up by this fire of the Lord,-they have been "consumed by the brightness of his coming."

For a season-long, as we count duration, but short with Him with whom "a thousand years are as one day," the holy fire seemed arrested in its progress, and even in hazard of being extinguished. But the dark, bleak middle ages passed away, and at the period of the glorious Reformation, blown on by the breath of God, it burst forth with new vigor, and in an incredibly short period, throughout the best portion of Europe, consumed the errors and superstitions of Papal Rome.

In our own age we have seen, with delight, the progress and the power of this heaven-lit conflagration. We see it kindled up in numerous widely-scattered regions of our earth, and everywhere manifesting its energy in destroying what is evil. And its fire must be lighted up in,ay, it must be diffused overevery land, trying, purifying, destroying, and it must glow with intenser ardor, till every human institution, civil, literary, or ecclesiastical, which embodies false principle and cherishes depraved feeling, which in its character and tendency opposes the truth, the purity, and the benignity of the Gospel of Christ, become fuel to its flames. This conflagration must become universal. This deluge of holy lustral fire must cover the whole earth; and all human systems of government, philosophy, and religion, must, by it, be either purified or consumed.

The

The same great and glorious event is predicted by the prophets Daniel and John, under different sets of emblems. stone cut out of the mountain without hands strikes the stately image on the feet; and the iron and the clay, the brass, the sil ver, and the gold, are broken in pieces, and become like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor, and the wind carries them away, and no place is found for them; while the stone which smote the image becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth. The kingdom set up by God in the days of the fourth great Gentile

8 Rev. xi. 5.

make war.

kingdom shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and shall stand for ever." "I saw," says John, "heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself: and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." And what shall be the result of this celestial war against the powers of evil? "Voices in heaven" shall ere long proclaim it: "The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

So much for the illustration of the view here given us of the design of our Lord's mission,-to kindle a conflagration which shall pervade the earth, assimilating all things to itself-purifying or destroying them.

The feelings of our Lord in reference to this design, are expressed in the words, "what will I if it be already kindled ?"""

Some consider these words as expressive of a feeling of exultation. They consider our Lord as exulting in the hold which his word had already got of some human hearts; he saw in the faith of the little flock, that the heavenly flame in his bosom had caught on kindred material, and though it was but a little spark, be knew that it was inextinguishable, and that that smoking flax would yet kindle a blaze which would wrap the whole earth in flames. He sees the unquenchable element, as it were, bursting forth, and exclaims, 'What will I more? the object of my minis try on earth is so far accomplished." Just as when the Greeks were introduced to him, seeing in them the first fruits of the fulness of the Gentile nations, he exclaimed, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

1713

Others, with whom we are disposed to agree, consider the words as expressive of desire, rather than of exultation. "What will I ?”—or 'what do I wish? but that it were already kindled' -or 'what do I wish? O, that it were already kindled.' The word rendered “if," is sometimes used to express desire; thus Balaam says, "I would there were a sword in mine hand, literally, 'if there were a sword in my hand.' In Isaiah, the word very properly rendered by our translators, "O, that thou hadst heartened to my commandments," is literally, 'If thou hadst

9 "Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45.

11" Volo pro vellem.”—BENGEL.

13 John xii. 20-23. 14 Numb. xxii. 29.

10 Rev. xix. 11-16; xi. 15.

12 Neander.

15 Isa. xlviii. 18.

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16יי!

hearkened.' And our Lord's words, "If thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace are obviously equivalent to, 'O, that thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace.' The meaning then seems to be, 'I am come to set the earth on fireO, that the conflagration were begun.' When we consider how clearly this was connected with the glory of God, and with the happiness of man, we cannot wonder that it should be an object of intense desire to him of whom it is said, "The zeal of thy house hath even consumed me;" and who so loved men, as not to love his own life to the death, in order to obtain their salvation. The intensity of his desire for the accomplishment of the great design of his mission, is strikingly expressed in the manner in which he speaks in reference to the means by which it was to be accomplished; means which involved an amount of exertion and suffering to him, which no created mind can estimate. "But," in order to that fire being kindled, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished ?"11 'I so intensely desire it, that I am willing to undergo all that suffering, which I know must be endured, in order to the kindling this salutary purifying fire. I am indeed restless till I have

sustained it.'

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IL-OF THE MEANS OF GAINING THE DESIGN OF OUR LORD'S MISSION, AND HIS FEELINGS IN REFERENCE TO THESE.

This brings us to the second part of our subject: the view given us, in the oracle, of the means by which the design of our Lord's mission was to be accomplished, and of his feelings in reference to these means. The means are described in these words,

"I have a baptism to be baptized with;" the feelings are described in these words,-"How am I straitened till it be accomplished!"

And first, of the means by which the design of our Lord's mission was to be accomplished. "I have a baptism to be baptized with." "But"—the force of this particle plainly is, 'These intense desires cannot immediately be gratified. In order to my doing what I am come to do, I must suffer, severely suffer.' That the baptism or submersion that our Lord speaks of refers to his sufferings, there can be no doubt. His own words to James and John explain it, when they through their mother requested to be allowed to sit, the one on his right hand and the other on his left, in his kingdom. "Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ?"19 i. e., Can ye endure the sufferings I must endure, in order to my entering on my kingdom?' There are two things we must

16 Luke xix. 42.

17 66

Accensionem praecessit lucta Accensus est Act ii."-BENGEL. 18 Luke xii. 50.

19 Mark x. 38.