с * When one said to him, "Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me:" his reply was, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Thus did he keep within the limits of his office as a heavenly teacher, In the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman taken in adultery: "and, when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou? This they said tempting him, that they might have to accuse him" either of condemning her to death without the authority of the Roman governor, or of determining against the decision of their law. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger formed about them a circle in the dust of the pavement. And "when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and marked the ground. And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even to the last and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." But though our Lord did not invade the province of the magistrate * Dr. Benson, in his Life of Christ, c. v. has given all the instances in this section, except those marked thus *. b Luke xii. 13, 14, 15. John viii. 3, &c. is to describe a circle : d 4 Γράφειν κύκλον in the Greek mathematicians and Plutarch in the story of Popillius, who included Antiochus in a circle, and demanded his answer before he quitted it, says, τῷ κλήματι γυρὸν περὶ αὐτὸν περιέγραψε. Apophthegms. Caius Popillius. • I reject μη προσποιέμενος, as a gloss. by condemning the adulteress to death, he explicitly condemned her crime as a moral instructor; "Go, and sin no more." When the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting him, desired that he would shew them a sign from heaven, he answered, "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red: and in the morning, It will be foul weather to day, for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky: but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and a sign shall not be given unto it [such as they ask at this time;] but the sign of the prophet Jonas" [shall be hereafter given.] He advises them to use their reason, refers them to a future illustrious proof of his divine mission, and reproves their vices; but he displays not his boundless power to the unworthy, though all nature was at his command. When "a certain & teacher of the law stood up and tempted him, [or proved his wisdom,] saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" a reply was expected derogating from the excellence of the law, and exposing our Lord to censure and danger on that account. But Jesus referred him to the Jewish law giver, approved of his answer, and assur. ed him that, if he loved God and his neighbour, he should live and being further asked who was his neighbour, he shewed, by an elegant and affecting parable, that every one to whom he could perform a good office was comprehended in that description. : f Matt. xvi. 1-4. Luke x. 25-37. i "The feast of the dedication was holden at Jerusalem; and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou keep us in suspense: if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I have told you heretofore, and yet ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." Thus did he indirectly declare his Messiahship, by appealing to his miracles, and by calling God his Father. Truth was tempered by wisdom however, prejudice so blinded his enemies, that nothing but a miracle could preserve him from their rage. Great multitudes followed Jesus as he went up to celebrate his last passover at Jerusalem. "And the * Pharisees came to him, tempting him [or trying to set him at variance with Moses,] and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" It is probable that they knew his 'decision of that point, and designed to take advantage of it. Jesus in his reply asked them Moses's determination, declared that their forefathers were not capable of a more perfect law, and shewed them from the history written by Moses that so strict and sacred an unión as marriage ought not to be lightly dissolved. Thus did he silence them by that very authority which they expected him to oppose. As Jesus was in the temple, the Jewish rulers asked him by what authority he acted. Jesus in John x. 22, &c. m I See the marginal rendering. H. Græc. 12mo. 1576, has suspensam tenes. k Matt. xix. 3. m ib. xxi. 23-27. Steph. Test. I Matt. v. 32 return pút a question to them, whether the baptism of John was from heaven or of men. "And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men ; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not.” Thus did he confound the device of his adversaries, which probably was to apprehend him, and accuse him of blasphemy, if he had " acknowledged himself to be the Messiah; and yet sufficiently intimate that he was commissioned from above, as one who was universally esteemed a prophet had repeatedly borne him testimony. When he was asked in the most flattering and artful terms about the lawfulness of paying tribute, we must observe that to deny this was sedition; and to affirm it was disclaiming his Messiahship in the opinion of the Jews, and betraying the rights of that people. But how superior does Jesus rise to this formidable alternative? "Why P tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's; and unto God the things which are God's. When they heard these words they marvelled, and left him, and went their way." See Mark xi. 18. Matt. iii. 14. John i. 26-9, 36. iii. 26-36. ? Matt. xxii. 16-22. and p. p. The Sadducees also put to him a great difficulty, in their apprehension of things; whose wife at the resurrection a woman should be whom seven brethren had successively taken. Jesus answered, “ Ye a do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven." The answer is most clear and determinate, most instructive and rational. No wonder that the multitude who heard it were astonished at his doctrine. г Again when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they made trial of his wisdom by asking him which was the great commandment of the law. Jesus replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, namely this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." This answer was so just, that it was applauded even by one of the Scribes who had combined in asking it insidiously. And the triumph of Jesus's wisdom was so complete, that no man durst from that time forth ask him any more questions. S I shall end the remarks under this head with the words of a most eminent author; though I think 9 Matt. xxii. 23-30. and p. p. gas is the true reading, Matt. xxii. 46. vol. iv. p. 206, Engl. ed. Matt. xxii. 34-40. and p. p. Secker's Sermons, |