been in gradual progress, and nation after nation of the Gentiles have been added to his kingdom, and have felt the divine influence of his peculiar protection.

V. 21.

These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

ISA. Ch. XXXV. V. 4.-Say to them that be of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even ELOHIM, with a recompense he will come, and save you. 5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, &c.

The prophecy just quoted is peculiarly appropriate to the preceding extract, for it says ELOHIM will come to save you, and then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, &c. Our Blessed SAVIOUR did appear on earth, he did open the eyes of the blind, &c., and thus did he openly manifest himself to be ELOHIM who was for to come.

CHAP. XII.

V. 34. We have heard out of the law, that CHRIST abideth for ever, and how sayest thou that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?

Our SAVIOUR did not think proper to reply to this question, "Who is the Son of Man?" He had often told them to search the Scriptures, for they testified of him; and as humble piety did not dictate the inquiry, he would not satisfy mere inquisitiveness. This should teach us with what spirit we should study holy writ, if we would hope to receive the aid of the Holy Ghost, for we are told that it is "the meek who are to inherit the kingdom of GOD."

V. 33. Then JESUS said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon

you.

JER. Ch. xiii. V. 16.—JEHOVAH saith, Give glory to JEHOVAH your GOD, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

This admonition of our SAVIOUR exactly coincides with that of JEHOVAH in the extract from Jeremiah. Let us learn from it the lesson it is meant to inculcate, and work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work.

V. 37. Though JESUS had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him, 38. That the saying of Esaias might be fulfilled which he spake, LORD, who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?

ISA. Ch. liii. V. 1.-Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of JEHOVAH revealed?

How minutely are the numerous prophecies concerning CHRIST fulfilled! This is perhaps one of the most remarkable, for all the miracles he performed were for the benefit of those that surrounded him, and yet they believed not.

CHAP. XV.

V. 20.—JESUS saith to his disciples, Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the lord; if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

EZEK. Ch. iii. V. 7.—Thus saith ADONI JEHOVAH, The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee, for they will not hearken unto me, for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted.

How perfectly does the Gospel extract agree with the prophecy! ADONI JEHOVAH and JESUS CHRIST

are again identified; they both speak of themselves with the very same tone of authority. Can this frequent similarity be a mere accidental coincidence?

CHAP. XVII.

V. 3.-JESUS saith, This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom thou hast sent.

JER. Ch. ix. V. 24.-But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am JEHOVAH, which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith JEHOVAH.

Thus is faith in the only true GOD and JESUS CHRIST made the condition of obtaining eternal life. The belief here enjoined must be that of the Evangelists, and they have frequently told us, by references to the Old Testament, and by their open confession that it is, That CHRIST is JEHOVAH, "The Mighty GOD."

CHAP. XIX.

V. 15. We have nothing but Cæsar.

GEN. Ch. xlix. V. 10.-The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

By this confession of the Jews themselves, the sceptre was departed from them, and yet their blindness was too infatuated to enable them to draw the right infer

ence.

V. 19.-Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the JEWS. 21. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not the King of the Jews, but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. 22. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.

ISA. Ch. xliii. V. 1.-Thus saith JEHOVAH that created thee, O

Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. 3. I am JEHOVAH thy GOD, the Holy One of Israel, thy SAVIOUR. 4. I, even I, am JEHOVAH, and beside me there is no Saviour. 13. Yea, before the day was I am HE. 15. I am JEHOVAH, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, YOUR KING.

In the 11th chapter, v. 51, of St. John, it is said that Caiaphas being high-priest prophesied. On this occasion also Pilate, as it were, in right of his office, is enabled to testify publicly the regal dignity of our SAVIOUR, the King of the Jews, whose government was to endure for ever and ever.

V. 23. The coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Ps. xxii. V. 18.-They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

The exact fulfilment of this prophecy helps to confirm our faith.

V. 36.—A bone of him shall not be broken; and again another scripture saith, 37. They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Exo. Ch. xiii. V. 43.-And JEHOVAH said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover, 46. In one house it shall be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house, neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

ZACH. Ch. xii. V. 10.-JEHOVAH saith, And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born.

In the Prophet Jeremiah, to whom St. John refers, it is JEHOVAH who says, They shall look on Me whom they have pierced. Another proof that St. John believed that JESUS CHRIST was the LORD JEHOVAH.

CHAP. XX.

V. 9. For as yet, they (the disciples) knew not the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

It is to be remarked, that the very character of the disciples was changed, when they had conversed with CHRIST after his resurrection, and had received the Holy Ghost. These timid men became heroic; the homely fishermen became enlightened, and they promulgated the sublimest truths, for they asserted distinctly and undauntedly that the crucified JESUS CHRIST was GOD, who had reconciled the world to himself. This is the plain unsophisticated faith taught by them, and happy are those who thus believe; yea, thrice happy are those who regulate their life according to the profession of this faith.

ACTS.

СНАР. І.

V. 24.-Thou, LORD, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.

JER. Ch. xvii. V. 10.-I, JEHOVAH, search the heart; I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The use of the word LORD in the above makes it difficult to assign its distinctive force, but the corresponding passage from Jeremiah helps us. St. Luke

and the other writers of the New Testament often address CHRIST as LORD, and the context clearly proves that they did not think him a created being.