LETTER XIII.

Of our Lord's reproving the Pharisees for their Violation of the divine Law; and of the Pharisees and Sadducees' requiring a Sign from Heaven.

MY DEAR NIECES,

As I wish to give you some idea of the meaning of the passages in our Lord's discourses, which allude to the opinions of the Jews during his abode on earth, I will now call your attention to the following passages of scripture.

It appears from Matt. xv. 5. that the reports of Christ's miracles gave great uneasiness to the scribes and pharisees of Jerusalem; and some of them had sought him in order to watch his conduct, and to obtain matter of accusation against him. But finding, that neither he nor his disciples deglected any part of the Mosaic law, they objected to him his disciples' disregard to the traditions of the elders,

in neglecting to wash their hands when they
ate bread.
Our Saviour replies to their cen-

sures on that subject, by charging them with
their violations of the divine law by their tra-
ditions: "For," said he, "God commanded,
saying, honour thy father and mother, and he
that curseth father or mother let him die the
death." Our Lord, by quoting both the com-
mandment, and the denunciation against the
opposite crime, has shown, that the pharisees
not only allowed the omission, but, in certain
cases, prohibited the observance of the duty.
According to their doctrine, if a man should
say to his distressed father or mother, "I give
or devote to the altar, whatsoever of mine
might be appropriated to thy relief," he shall
not afterwards be obliged to honor or relieve
his parents, by giving to them any part of his
property. Corban signifies any sacred offer-
ing, whether it consisted of a sacrifice or gift
in money.

It was a custom among the Jews solemnly to devote to God, that is, to the use of the public treasury in the temple, what they might otherwise have given to their relations and

friends, meaning, by this practice of binding themselves by a vow, to put it out of their power to assist their parents. It was frequent, also, for the Jews to leave whole estates to the treasury, and thus deprive their descendants of any share in their property. This usage was encouraged by the pharisees, because the priests, who were chiefly of this sect, abundantly shared in the gifts devoted to the altar. They had so much influence over the people, that it became a common practice with the latter not to give any thing to their parents, under pretence that they had devoted their property to religious uses.

The Mishna, which contains a code of the Jewish civil and canon law, gives an account of a Jew who had, by a vow, excluded his father from being benefitted by his property. Afterwards, upon the marriage of his son, he wished to have his father present at the nuptials. In this dilemma, what was to be done? He surrendered the court where the entertainment was to be made, and the feast itself, to a neighbour, on condition that he would invite the old gentleman to the wedding.

As an instance of Pharisaical strictness in observing their traditions, we are told, upon the authority of the Jewish Talmud, that when Rabbi Akiba was confined in prison, with only a small allowance of water, he chose rather to die of thirst, than omit the custom of washing his hands.

The Jews had seen our Saviour perform many of the most benificent miracles; such as healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, making the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and multiplying a few loaves and fishes into provisions for many thousands. But notwithstanding these amazing acts of divine power, blended with 'benevolence, the pharisees and sadducees, who hated each other on account of the difference in their religious opinions, united in desiring Christ to show them a sign from heaven. The sign they requested to see was, perhaps, similar to what the prophets exhibited; Moses brought down hail and lightning upon the Egyptians; Samuel caused thunder and hail, and Elijah called down fire from heaven.

The Jews might pretend, that there was room for artifice and illusion in those miracles which were performed upon earth; but that the art of man could not reach the heavens. The pharisees strongly evinced their arrogance in cherishing the idea, that the Deity would afford miraculous signs whenever they might call for them. Our Saviour refused to gratify their presumption, and declared, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of the prophet Jonah." This sign

was, his own resurrection on the third day; which, as predicted and accomplished, to the disappointment and confusion of his powerful enemies, and as connected with its extensive and permanent effects, was vastly more conclusive than any transient sign from heaven could have been.