And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Ver. 6. And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c.] John Baptist's office and efficacy is here described; he shall, as a powerful instrument (by preaching repentance, Matthew 3:2, and prevailing, as he did, with all sorts, even to admiration; so that all men mused in their hearts, whether he were the Christ or not, Luke 3:10; Luke 3:12; Luk 3:14-15), convert sinners from the errors of their way, reduce them to the faith of the old patriarchs, make them unanimous in the love of God and of one another, and tie them up together, as it were, by his baptism. For the multitude of believers "were of one heart and one soul," Acts 4:32 (animo animaque inter se miscebantur, as Tertullian phraseth it), neither was there any controversy at all among them, as one ancient Greek copy subjoineth there. Controversies there were great store among the Jews, when the Baptist came. As Joseph found his brethren in Dothan, which signifieth defection, so did he. They were all gone out of the way; and, being led aside by the error of the wicked, they were fallen from their own steadfastness. Many strange opinions and dotages they had taken up, and were woefully divided; specially by those three different sects, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes; which the prophet Zechariah calleth three shepherds: that were to be destroyed in one month, at John's coming, Zechariah 11:8. The Pharisees were held the best of those three, si ad legem respexeris, saith Tremellius, if you look to the law; and St Paul, who was once a Pharisee of Pharisees, calleth them the most strict sect of the Jewish religion, Acts 26:5 (like those districtissimi Monachi among the Papists); and yet there were seven sorts of Pharisees, as we find in their Talmud. Hence much alienation of affection among them, and great animosities; father hating son, and son father, for truth's sake, as Matthew 10:35. So powerful should John be in his ministry, that although the leprosy were gotten into their heads, and were therefore held incurable, Leviticus 13:44, yet he should "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord," Luke 1:17. All headstrong and brutish affections should be calmed and corrected, as Isaiah 11:6,8, and the peaceable wisdom from above instilled, James 3:17, so that they shall "endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," Ephesians 4:8. And albeit some jars may fall out (as between Paul and Barnabas), yet God's people can soon piece again, and reunite. Ut aer percussus non laeditur, imo ne dividitur quidem, sed refundit sese, et spissior redit, &c. As the air, divided by a stone or stroke, soon closeth and thickeneth the more. Certainly there is no such oneness and entireness anywhere as among the saints; their love is spiritual, Song of Solomon 6:9. The very heathens acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together and love one another so as Christians did. Tacitus observeth of the Jews, that there was misericordia in promptu spud suos, but contra omnes alios hostile odium, mercy enough for their own countrymen among them, but hostile hatred against all others: they used to say, that there is no Gentile but deserves to have his head bruised, &c. But John Baptist by his preaching made Jewish Pharisees and Roman soldiers (according to the phrase that Josephus useth of him), to convent, and knit together in baptism (εν βαπτισμω συνιεναι. Antiq. lib. 18, cap. 7).
Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse] That is, lest coming, I smite, &c. For there is no doubt to be made of his coming; and as little of his smiting, if men amend not. These words menace as many as resisted John's ministry with utter destruction; "whether it be done against the whole nation, or against a man only," Job 34:29. The Romans came and took away both their place and their nation; not for letting Christ alone, as they feared, John 11:48, but for laying wicked hands upon him, and putting to "death the Lord of life," Acts 2:28. John also preached damnation to them, Matthew 3:7,12, and so did our Saviour, Matthew 23:13,33, whereby eight dreadful woes, as by so many links of an adamantine chain, he draws those irreformable hypocrites down to hell, their place; and then leaves them to be reserved unto judgment. St Jerome was called Fulmen Ecclesiasticum, the Church thunderbolt. Mr Perkins was a most earnest preacher, and would pronounce the word damn with such an emphasis, as left a doleful echo in his auditors' ears a good while after. And when catechist of Christ's College, in expounding the commandments, he applied them so home, that he made his hearers hearts fall down, and their hairs to stand up straight almost. And surely this is the way to work upon hard hearted sinners; whence the apostle bids Titus rebuke with all authority; and then turning him to the people (as Calvin senseth it), chargeth them not to despise him for so doing, Titus 1:15. The apostle knew well that men are, for the most part, of delicate ears; and can ill abide plain dealing. Ahab hates Micaiah, and hath him in prison, ever since that dreadful denunciation of displeasure and death, for dismissing Benhadad (for he was, probably, that disguised prophet), for which he was ever since fast in prison, deep in disgrace. But truth must be spoken, however it be taken; and those that will not be pricked at heart (κατενυγησαν), as Acts 2:37, but take up bucklers to ward off the blow, must have the sword of the Spirit sheathed in their bowels, and bathed in their blood; for in all this we are a sweet savour unto God, 2 Corinthians 2:15, yea, though a "savour of death unto death." The barren earth must be smitten with cursing, and they that mind earthly things (Terra autem sunt, qui terrena sapiunt, saith Austin) have damnation for their end, so that St Paul cannot speak of them without tears of compassion, Philippians 3:18,19. Oh that it might express from them tears of compunction! Oh that they would be forewarned to flee from the wrath to come! Oh that they would think upon eternity, and by breaking off their sins, disarm God's indignation justly conceived against them! He therefore threateneth that he may not smite; he proceeds not to punish till there be no remedy, 2 Chronicles 36:16. Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit; an unruly patient makes a cruel physician. Oh that we could all resolve to deal by our sins as Lewis, King of France, did by the Pope's bulls, whereby he required the fruits of vacancies of all cathedral churches of France, about the year 1152; he cast them into the fire, saying, he had rather the Pope's bulls should roast in the fire than his own soul should fry in hell.
For a conclusion to all, take an observation of Amamas, and before him of Buxtorf; that in many Hebrew Bibles the last verse save one of this prophecy (as also of Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, and Lamentations) is repeated again in the end thereof, though without pricks, lest anything should be thought added to God's word. Hebrew Text Note Factum hoc ex Scribarum decreto, &c. This the scribes thought fit to do, either for the dignity of those repeated verses, that the reader might again ruminate and remind them; or else, as some will have it, because all those books end in threatenings and sad speeches. And therefore, lest the Sun of righteousness should seem to set in a cloud, or not to shine upon the departing passenger, they thought fit to leave the verse before to be last; as being sweet and full of comfort, that the reader might, Samson-like, go his way, feeding on that honeycomb.
Laus Deo in aeternum.