CHAPTER XX.

The humble Jesus resides with Martha and Mary, two obscure Women of Bethany. - Prescribes a mode of Prayer to his Disciples and future Followers. Revisits some of the Pharisaical Tribe.

THE feast of the dedication approaching, Jesus turned his course towards Jerusalem, and in the evening came to the house of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, at Bethany. Martha was desirous of expresing her regard for the divine guest, by providing for him and his disciples the best entertainment in her power. But her sister, who was of a more contemplative disposition, sat quietly at the feet of Jesus listening with the utmost attention to his doctrine. For the great Redeemer of mankind never omitted any opportunity of declaring the gracious offers of the Almighty, and his unspeakable love for the children of men. Martha, being greatly fatigued with the burden of the service, complained to Jesus of the little care Mary took to assist her. "Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." Luke x. 40.

But Martha's officiousness incurred our Lord's reproof, who commended Mary for her attentive application to his doctrine. "Martha, Martha, thou art

careful and troubled about many things: and one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke x. 41, 42.

When Jesus repaired to Jerusalem, to celebrate the feast of dedication, he was informed, that the beggar he had restored to sight, had been, by the council, cast out of the synagogue. This information excited the pity of the Son of God; and he resolved to make him full amends for the injury he had suffered. It was not long before he met the suffering person, and said to him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him." John ix. 35, &c.

We have hinted that the beggar was thoroughly convinced that the person who opened his eyes was a messenger from heaven. It is, therefore, no wonder, that as soon as he knew Jesus was the person who had performed so great a work, he readily believed him to be the Son of God.

Our Saviour having thus given the poor man proof of his Messiahship, directed his discourse to the people, and said unto them, "For judginent I am come into this world; that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind." John ix. 39. The meaning of our Saviour, though he alluded to the blind man, was spiritual. He did not intend to represent the design of his coming, but the effect it would have on the minds of men:

as it would demonstrate what character and disposition every person possessed. The humble, the docile, and the honest, though they were immersed in the night of darkness, with regard to religion and the knowledge of the Scriptures, should be enlightened by his coming, as the blind man had enjoyed the invaluable gift of sight from his hands; but those who were wise, learned, and enlightened, in their own opinion, should appear in their true character, absolutely ignorant, foolish, and blind.

The Pharisees, who happened to be present when he spake these words to the people, imagined that he intended to throw a reflection on their sect, which the common people, from their skill in the law, held in great veneration. Accordingly, they asked him, with disdain, "Are we blind also?" Dost thou place us, who are teachers, and have taken such pains to acquire the knowledge of the Scriptures, on a level with the vulgar? To which Jesus answered, "If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." If ye had not enjoyed the faculties and opportunities of discerning the proofs of my mission, you might have been considered as blind; but as ye are superior to the vulgar in point of learning, and, at the same time, your heart averse from acknowledging the truth, your enlightened understanding will only aggravate your guilt.

Having condemned the obstinacy and prejudices of the sect, in rejecting the most evident tokens of the divinity of his mission, he continued the reproof, by describing the character of a true and false

teacher. It was our Lord's custom, always to allude to objects before him; and being now in the outer court of the temple, near the sheep, which were there exposed to sale, for sacrifice, he compared the teachers among the Jews to shepherds, and the people to sheep—a metaphor often used by the old prophets. He considered two kinds of bad shepherds, or teachers: the one, who instead of entering in by the door to lead the flocks to the richest pastures, entered some other way, with an intention only to kill, to steal, and to destroy; the other, who, though they entered by the door to feed their flocks, with the dispositions of hirelings, yet when the wolf appeared, they deserted the sheep, having no love for any but themselves. By the former he plainly alluded to the Pharisees, who had cast the man born blind out of the synagogue, for no other reason than because he would not act contrary to the dictates of his conscience, and agree with them in declaring Jesus to be an impostor. But though they had cast him out of their church, Jesus received him into his, which is the true church, the spiritual inclosure, where the sheep go in and out, and find pasture.

To illustrate the allusion, it should be observed, that the sheep which were brought to be sold, were inclosed in little folds, within the outer court of the temple; so that the shepherd himself could not enter, till the porter had opened the door. And, from this circumstance, the following parabolical discourse may be easily understood. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same

is a thief and a robber." John x. 1. Believe me, that whosoever, in any age of the church, assumed the office of teacher, without a commission from me, was a thief and a robber; and, in the present age, he is no better who assumes that office without my commission, and particularly without believing on me. "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice." John x. 2, 3, 4.

The doctrine here inculcated is, that good men are obedient to the instructions of true and faithful teachers, who, in every case, show them their duty with the greatest plainness, not concealing it because it may be disagreeable to their inclinations.

The feast of the dedication being now over, Jesus departed from Jerusalem, and retired into the parts of Perea beyond Jordan. Here his ministry was attended with great success; for the inhabitants of the country, remembering what had been told them by John the Baptist concerning Jesus, and being sensible that the doctrine and miracles of our blessed Saviour were fully equal to what the Baptist had foretold, firmly believed him to be the Messiah.

According to this supposition, which seems the most agreeable to reason, the inhabitants of these countries enjoyed the doctrines and miracles of the Son of God for a considerable time. But, however this may be, the evangelist tells us, that while he