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their duty. Jesus proceeds to reason with the Jews:

18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, I who seek my Father's glory, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19. Did not Moses give you the Ex. 24. 3. law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Deut. 33. 4. keepeth it in spirit and in truth. Why go ye about to kill me? 20. The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: a false and evil spirit: who goeth about to kill thee? Perhaps the people were not aware of the wicked design of their rulers. 21. Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, have healed a man on the sabbath-day, and ye all marvel. 22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the Gen. 17. 10. fathers;) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit, altogether, whole on the sabbath day? 24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judg

ment.

We may explain it thus: Their reasoning implied, that no work whatever should be done on the sabbath: circumcision might be called

Deut. 1. 16.

17.

a work, and yet they performed it: therefore, according to their own practice, some work might be done. Was not the healing of this man as great and good a work as circumcision? In blaming Jesus, then, for this work, and justifying themselves, they were unrighteous in their judgment: they appeared to have a great zeal for the sabbath, while they broke it. by circumcision, more than He did by healing a man of his infirmity.

25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26. But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Is their opinion changed? Do they now conclude that He is the Messiah, and therefore take Him not? 27. Howbeit, let them think as they please, Matt. 13.55. We judge otherwise, for, we know this man whence he is, His birth, His parents, and

5. 1.

every thing belonging to Him, but when Isaiah 53: Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. It appears, that the Jews expected their Messiah to come upon them in some sudden and mysterious manner, they knew not whence or how. Though He was to be born in Bethlehem, they perhaps thought he would afterwards be removed, and appear again in a wonderful manner. But in truth, it is not easy to reconcile their contradictory notions of Him.

28. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye Rom. 3.4. know not, know not in truth. 29. But I

know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. His word speaketh of Me, and His works are wrought in Me, and they prove whence I am come, and who hath sent Me. Here we stop.

Many persons fall into great error on the subject of their faith; and suppose that they are in no wise answerable for what they cannot understand, or cannot believe; whereas it is possible, nay very probable, that their want of understanding and of faith may be chiefly their own fault. If men come to the study of God's word, with a persuasion, that such and such doctrines cannot be true, they are not likely to discover them, however clearly revealed. If men are determined to receive the truths of the scripture, only in a certain sense of their own, they are not likely to grow wiser; and their want of wisdom lies at their own door, is owing to their own prejudice and presumption. And thus, if men are resolved to live in ways and habits of their own choosing, according to their own inclination and conceit, they will never be brought to perceive the force, or to admit the obligation, even of the plainest commandments of their God; they will "hear and not understand;" be hearers and not doers

all their lives long: and this will be owing not to their want of capacity, but to the selfishness and corruption and rebellion of their hearts. If we would know the will of God, we must be ready and desirous to do that will in every thing; to submit at once, and altogether, to whatever we are taught of God; instantly to give up our own notions and ways to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Word. If we do not so, we shall be judging according to the outward appearance, and not be able to judge righteous judgment; we shall be ever learning, and yet never come to the knowledge and love of the truth as it is in Jesus. Is this our Have we this teachable spirit? If not, let us pray for it, seek it, strive above all things to attain it and if we have this godly desire, we shall be daily "growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. iii. 18.)

frame of mind?

LECTURE XXVI.

Jesus had been reproving the Jews for their want of judgment and of faith, and shewing them the grounds of it; shewing, that it proceeded from their evil heart of unbelief,

CHAP. VII. 30.

:

30. Then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him, because his hour, the

hour appointed for His death, was not yet come. The wicked have no power till it is given them of God, for the execution of His own wise and gracious purposes. 31. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

They knew from their prophets, especially from Isaiah, that the Messiah would work mi- Ch. 35. &c. racles; all parties agreed that Jesus had worked many; and therefore all should have agreed, as some of the people did, that He came down from God, and was their Great Deliverer.

32, The Pharisees heard that the people murmured, said among themselves, such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and chief priests sent officers to take him. 33. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me, to My Father, and to heaven again. 34. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither yes. 5. 6.

cannot come.

When the day of your visitation and distress arrives, as it certainly will do, ye shall seek your Messiah, your Deliverer, but in vain : ye will not then be able to come to Him, and procure his help.

35. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find

Pro. 1. 28-30.

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