Kingdom; as if He would say, My servants, Moses and the prophets,1 and John Baptist, have prepared a work of joy for you by My Spirit they have broken up the rough places of Israel, tilled the fields, sown the seed: I have sent the early and the latter rains, and the refreshing dews of Heaven; and you shall enter into the reward of the harvest; you shall" reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour," and gather fruit into life eternal, that both they who sowed, and you who are to reap, may rejoice together.

The names of these early disciples are not recorded but their Master's words concerning the already ripeness of the harvest began at once to be verified. The woman had hastened into Sychar to tell the news that she had found the Messiah; saying to the people, "Come, see a Man Which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" And many of the Samaritans having come out of the city, when they beheld Him and conversed with Him, were so moved by the Divine wisdom which He displayed, that they were convinced He was indeed the expected Redeemer of Israel. "They besought Him that He would tarry with them." His words were to them sweet waters of the fountain of life, more precious than those of Jacob's Well. "They said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.'" This expression, "the Saviour of the world," is remarkable, coming from heretical Samaritans, and shows how deeply they were moved by the gracious teaching of our Lord, during the two days that He abode with them;-days to be treasured up in their memories; days indeed bright and joyful; days in which the Sun of righteousness had risen upon their hearts with light and life, as would afterwards be made manifest: for they were among the first converts to Christianity. 3

3

1 Lucas Brugensis, John, iv. 38. Also St. Augustin, "Quò ergo erant messores mittendi? Ubi jam prophetæ prædicaverant, ipse enim seminatores. Nam si ipsi non seminatores, unde ad illam mulierem pervenerat, Scio quia Messias veniet?"" In Johan. Evang., Tract. xvi. § 32.

2 Simon de Cassia, Pars ii. lib. xi. cap. 3. p. 172.

3 Acts viii, 5-17. Bishop Sumner's Ministerial Character of Christ, p. 147.

CHAPTER XII.

JOHN THE BAPTIST CAST INTO PRISON BY HEROD ANTIPASTHE MESSIAH LEAVES SYCHAR, GOES INTO GALILEE, AND BEGINS HIS FIRST CIRCUIT-IN CANA, HE CURES THE NOBLEMAN'S SON LYING SICK AT CAPERNAUM-HE IS CAST OUT OF NAZARETH-THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Matthew, iv. 12-17; Mark, i. 14, 15; Luke, iv. 14—32. John, iv. 43-54.

WHILST Jesus tarried at Sychar, word was brought to Him that the Baptist was cast into prison. Herod Antipas was a cruel and incestuous tyrant, as his father Herod before him. He admired the Baptist, and "heard him gladly," because he was endowed with a mighty eloquence, and with gifts beyond the ordinary stamp of man: but the proud Tetrarch could not brook reproof even from the lips of a prophet. John came in the spirit and power of the great Elijah; and like him had the courage to rebuke profligacy and wickedness in high places. In ancient days the venerable Tishbite, finding the murderer Ahab, king of Israel, in Naboth's vineyard, "whither he had gone down to possess it," fearlessly delivered the Lord's message, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." And of Jezebel, the partner and prompter of his crime, he said, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel." With no less boldness did the Baptist dare to reprove Herod for his adulterous marriage with that second Jezebel-Herodias, his own niece, and the wife of his brother Herod Philip, who was still living. Instigated by her hatred and revenge,1

Josephus ascribes the imprisonment of John to the political jealousy of Herod, who feared that the influence of so powerful a preacher might create some sedition among the great multitudes that flocked to him.-Antiq. xviii. 5. 2. It is not improbable that the Scribes and Rulers of the Jews encouraged

Antipas "sent forth, and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison:" for he had said, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." The place of his imprisonment is not certainly known; but is said to have been the castle of Machærus, a strong fortress in Peræa, on the frontier of Arabia Petræa, near to the north-east corner of the Dead Sea. "Now when Jesus heard that John was cast into prison, He departed [from Sychar] into Galilee." St. Mark says, “After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee." St. Luke makes no mention of the imprisonment of the Baptist; but he speaks of the Messiah's first teaching in these words, " And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." We may therefore date the opening of His First Circuit from the time of His leaving Sychar.3

Herod to persecute the prophet, of whom they were so jealous.—Lucas Brug. Matt. iv. 12. Lamy, indeed, argues at great length that the Sanhedrim put the Baptist in prison before Herod did so, because he had openly denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees as a generation of vipers; but that, being afterwards released, he was again imprisoned by Herod. Tractatus de vinculis Joannis Baptistæ, Pars ii. cap. viii. This opinion is completely refuted by F. Lampe, Comment. in Evang. Joan., vol. i. pp. 462, 463.

2 Josephus Antiq. xviii. 5. 2. Lightfoot, vol. i. pp. 582. 592; ii. 81. 197.501. Greswell's Harmony, vol. ii. 327; iii. 414-429. Josephus, also Bel. Jud., lib. vii. 6. 1; and Adrichomius, p. 128, for an account of the strength of this citadel. Reland Palæst., 880, makes it eight miles to the east of Jordan. See the Rev. George Williams's Excursions in Palestine, No. III. in the Colonial Church Chronicle, Feb. 1858, for reasons why it may be doubted if Machærus was the place of John's imprisonment.

3 From this point several questions have arisen as to the order of events, or catena circumstantiarum of our Lord's ministry. Many authors have proceeded on the assumption that there are more difficulties of chronological order in the gospels than really exist: some have taken St. Matthew as their principal guide; others hold that St. Mark and St. Luke ought to be implicitly followed. According to their different views, these writers have removed whole chapters, or parts of chapters, from their proper place, to make them dovetail in elsewhere with their preconceived systems. But in so doing they have multiplied the difficulties. My principle has been to simplify the history by making as few variations as possible from the order observed by the Evangelists. The critical reader, acquainted with the authors quoted in the notes, will find that I have the authority of some amongst the most learned for each part of my chronological arrangement, until the ninth chapter of St. Luke, ver. 51, where a further explanation will be given. The Table of Contents at the beginning of the Volume will show how closely the regular order of the Gospels is preserved in this Narrative. The 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th chapters of St. Matthew do not

He no longer required a herald to prepare His way; already He was attended by an increasing company of disciples;1 the miracle at the marriage in Caua was not forgotten; many Galileans also, who had returned from the Passover, "having seen all the things which He did at Jerusalem, at the feast," added to the general astonishment by their reports. The wonderful truth, first revealed to shepherds, then to Simeon and Anna, and to Gentile kings, and rumoured abroad from one place to another in doubtful comments, begins now to be more openly unfolded. The whole nation, groaning under the burthen of the Roman yoke, yearned for their Deliverer in the Person of Messias: they knew that the time was come, when the prophecies justified the hope of His approach. It was for all these reasons that His return to Galilee wrought so powerfully on the minds of the people: they received Him gladly as a great Prophet sent from God. But Jesus was never for a moment deceived as to the character of their inconstant affections. He Himself testified that "a prophet hath no honour in his own country;" and He knew how they would finally reject Him, when they discovered that He did not purpose to re-establish the Jewish throne; but on the contrary foretold His own Death, and their national downfall.

And He came again to Cana, "where He made the water wine." At that moment the son of a certain nobleman lay sick, and at the point of death, in the town of Capernaum about twelve miles off. The afflicted father, hearing that the wonder-working Prophet was in Cana, hastened to Him, and besought Him to come down to Capernaum and heal his child. He was probably a Gentile nobleman of the court of

agree in the order of events with St. Mark and St. Luke: but with these exceptions all four Evangelists can be brought into general Harmony. Even if they differed more widely than they do in their chronological arrangement, the objection raised to the credibility of the Gospel on such grounds would not hold good for the inspired authors might well have more regard to the facts themselves than to the exact regularity of their history.

"Jesus had disciples with Him at the marriage in Cana. Some also went down with Him to Capernaum. He had some with Him in Judæa, who baptized. And some returned with him into Galilee. But who they were is not mentioned." Pilkington's Evang. Hist., Notes, p. 14.

2 Supposed to have been Chuza, the steward of Herod's household, and the husband of Joanna. See p. 188.

Herod Antipas the Tetrarch; and Jesus, exactly measuring his imperfect faith, appeared for a moment to hesitate:1 He replied, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." But the father persevered in his anxious suit, entreating His compassion, "Sir, come down ere my child die:" and he prevailed. The God of Love was the Lord of Life: He came to save life, and to heal the sick. "Go thy way [He said, conscious of the power of His word]: thy son liveth." The pledge was sufficient: the father "believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." On the instant, as by a voice from Heaven, those words "Thy son liveth" had penetrated the child's sick chamber at Capernaum: "The fever left him." Christ "spake, and it was done." As the father was returning home "his servants met him, and told him, saying, 'Thy son liveth:"""and himself believed, and his whole house."

From Cana Jesus" came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up." It was about eight miles off; "and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day." The Jewish synagogues were buildings for the public worship of God, established in every town where ten men could be found of learning and piety to regulate the services. These consisted of prayers, and hymns, and reading portions of the five books of Moses, and of the prophets; after which the Elders called upon some one of competent abilities to preach, or expound the Scriptures. There were four hundred and eighty synagogues in Jerusalem alone; but no sacrifices could be offered anywhere except in the Temple. They were usually built with pillars, courts, and porches. the centre was a pulpit, where the preacher stood whilst he read the Scripture; then he sat down to deliver his exposition. "And Jesus stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it

1 Barradius, vol. ii. lib. iv. cap. 14. p. 318.

2 And twelve at Tiberias.-Lewis's Orig. Heb., vol. i. p. 485.

3

In

Lightfoot, vol. i. pp. 299. 363. 610, and especially 613, showing how it was that our Lord had liberty to preach in all the synagogues, coming in the visible demonstration of a Prophet; and vol. ii. 35. 132. 136. 405, 406; Lewis's Orig. Heb., vol. i. pp. 479-489.