ON OUR LORD'S CONDUCT himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman, this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner:" and thus proved it to be a natural notion that a divine instructor should be endued with that knowledge which Jesus actually possessed. Jesus replied to his thoughts, shewed by a parable that the woman's expression of her gratitude was reasonable, and, on account of her former and present marks of repentance, spake comfort to her by thrice declaring that her sins were remitted. When Jesus had healed a blind and dumb demoniac, and the people expressed their amazement by saying, "Is not this the son of David?" the Scribes and Pharisees, who had come from Jerusalem to Capernaum in order to watch our Lord's conduct, alarmed at hearing such a question started by the multitude, immediately suggested this blasphemy apart from Jesus, "He casteth out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.” "But he, knowing their thoughts," confuted this impious calumny by similitudes shewing how absurd it was to suppose that Satan should be divided against himself. a *When the Pharisee with whom Jesus dined wondered that he did not first wash before dinner; it may be supposed that Jesus addressed his subsequent discourse to this inward sentiment, not plainly declared by words or actions. *When a woman who had laboured under an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Jesus as y Luke vii. 47, 48, 50. xi. 38, &c. z Matt. xii. 22. and p. p. a Luke multitudes thronged him, and touched the hem of his garment, saying within herself," not to others, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole ;" and, in reward of her faith, instantly perceived that she was healed; our Lord knew that extraordinary power had gone out of him, and that the woman had approached him with full assurance of recovery; and to promote the great ends of his mission by a discovery of this double miracle, he asked who touched him, and declared to the woman that her faith had restored her. f с с When Jesus had spoken of coming to him, of believing in him, of being so taught of God and so hearing and learning of the Father as to come unto him, and of receiving and obeying his doctrine which he should ratify by his death, under the figures of the meat which endured unto everlasting life, of the true bread from heaven, of the bread which gave life unto the world; and had called himself the bread of life, the 1 living bread, nourishing and supporting the souls of men while he lived among them; adding that the bread which he spake of was his flesh which he would give for the life of the world; that his flesh was to be eaten and his blood drunk, they being food in a true and excellent sense, and far beyond that which sustained the perishing body, insomuch that whosoever ate him i John vi. 35, 47, 45, 27, 51. f. v. 35. 10. 57. teen sermons. dv. 27. v. 54, 55. Prov. ix. 5. Jer. See the twelfth of Dr. Clarke's seven 0 should live by him; the evangelist relates that << many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" But "when Jesus knew in himself," and not by human means, "that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?" Then you may be convinced how truly I asserted that I came down from heaven. It is the spiritual part, both in the teacher and hearer, that giveth life: the flesh, or body, profiteth nothing as a source of life even my oblation of my body on the cross will be of no avail, but to such as are duly influenced by considering the purposes which it serves: the words which I speak unto you, the truths which I teach and which I shall confirm by my death, are a lifegiving principle, and the source of eternal life in an honest and good heart sanctified by them. "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.s m So magnificent a promise as living by Christ, living for ever, having eternal life, and being raised up at the last day, v. 57, 54. cannot be given to eating and drinking bread and wine representing the flesh [or body] and blood of Christ in the Lord's supper. Such a promise can only be made to faith productive of good works. P v. 68. 4 John xvii. 17. " v. 61, 2, 3. * John vi. 64. by v 58. as ap • v. 58, 51, 33. • In this difficult chapter, v. 51, 53-7. are explained pears by the annexed promise of living for ever. But v. 58. is equivalent to v. 35. and v. 35. is explained by v. 40. where we should read ag for . Again v. 35. is parallel to v. 48. and v. 48. is expressed, without a figure, in v. 47. Observe that doon, will give, occurs v. 27; and Sarw, I will give, v. 51: whence it follows that Jesus had in view his [When a certain man thus accosted him, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest," Jesus thus addressed his secret prejudices as to the temporal grandeur of the Messiah: "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." Grotius observes that Christ paupertatem suam profitens ipsum hominis ulcus tetigit. * Jesus wisely declined working a miracle for the woman of Canaan who implored his assistance to heal her daughter; because he "was a minister " of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." But when he rejected her importunity in the following strong proverbial form, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs," he made use of the expression to prove her faith, knowing that he should have an opportunity to commend and reward it. doctrine sealed by his blood; which doctrine whosoever so imbibed and digested as to allow it a proper effect on his conduct, should have eternal life. By this highly figurative language, though carefully explained by him, Jesus checked the ardour of the multitude, v. 15; and exercised the faith of his hearers, separating the worldly minded from the sincere. Randolph says, View, &c. p. 150, 151: "By giving his flesh for the life of the world, he plainly alludes to his passion; and by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, he means, as he himself hath explained it, v. 29, 35, 47. believing on him : though I doubt not but the words carry a farther allusion to the sacrament, which he should af terwards institute." * See Randolph's View, &c. p. 185. See Matt. viii. 7. John iv. 16. vi. 6. u Rom. xv. 8. w Matt. xv. 26. They that received the didrachm, annually given to the High Priest for the service of the temple, asked Peter in Capernaum whether Jesus did not submit to that tribute as well as other Jews. When Peter returned to the house where our Lord was, Jesus shewed his knowledge of this transaction by preventing Peter who was about to relate it, and intimated that as the Son of God, and as the lineal b descendant of David, he might plead an exemption from it. At the same time, Jesus took another occasion of shewing that no remote or secret occurrence could be concealed from him. As they journied, the disciples had disputed among themselves which should be the greatest. Jesus saw the thought of their heart, asked them the subject of their debate, on their silence advanced this maxim, "If a man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all;" and when, conscious of a discovery, they still requested a decision of the point, taught them that the way to exaltation in his kingdom was to imitate the 'humility of children. We read that the Pharisees and Chief Priests sent officers to take Jesus at the feast of tabernacles, about six months before his crucifixion. It is probable that our Lord, engaged in teaching the people, immediately diverted his discourse, and, with a piercing and z In value about fifteen pence. a See y Matt. xvii. 24, &c. Grot. and Diod. Sic. p. 1082. 1. 80. and he note: ed. Wesseling. b Perhaps this circumstance is introduced, because, immediately before, the disciples had been much depressed by our Lord's prophecy of his death, v. 23. See Bishop Pearce. d Luke ix. 47 Mark ix. 35. Mark ix. 33-7. and p. p. |