The Lord Jesus, full of kind anxiety that the men who had gathered round him should believe and be saved, reminded them of their own message to John the Baptist on the banks of the river Jordan, more than a year before this time, and of John's answers.

33-39. "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He (John) was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which

testify of me."

The Lord Jesus had no need of the witness of the Baptist John, though for their own sakes He reminded the Jews of it. He called upon them to consider the witness of God shewn in the works He had done-works which no power but the power of God could possibly have done. Yet they were but the beginning of the great things He had come to do. When He had finished his Father's works, they would indeed bear witness of Him that He was the Son of God. God the eternal Father must remain hidden in his own awful glory from the eyes of mortal men. They could not see His shape, they could not hear His voice, though He spake to them in His holy word; and it was because they did not receive that word in its simple meaning, that they did not know his Son, and would not believe Him. Jesus bade them search the Scriptures. They thought

that in them they should find eternal life. And this was true, for the Scriptures shewed that He, Jesus of Nazareth, was the Messiah, the Saviour. Why then would they not come to him that they might have eternal life? Here was the reason. Their hearts were given up to the love of this world's greatness, to the pride of worldly things, and they could not see the holy beauty that came from God in his Divine Son. If Jesus had come as an earthly prince, in his own name, leading them to fight against the Romans, He would have found a ready welcome. The pomp of man's power they could see, and they could value, though they knew that the greatest prince who was ever clothed in gold and purple soon passed into the grave a handful of dust and ashes. But the greatness that was of God, the power of God himself who, by one word, could rule the world; the simple majesty of Christ the Son of God, they could not see or understand. Christ knew and shewed them the reason.

Bu

Verses 41-44. "I receive not honour from men. I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

Thus spoke Jesus to the rulers of the Jews, and He ended his speech in words that must have called back to their minds His awful warning, that they who were now gathered together against him, they, and all the dead should, in their graves, hear his voice, and should come forth to be judged by him.

Verses 45-47. "Do not think (He said,) that (in that day) I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”

If they had read, with simple, humble minds, and earnest hearts, the word of God in the Old Testament, more knowledge would have been given them. They would have learnt not to expect an earthly prince, to flatter their pride by making them great; but a Messiah, whose holy power would lead them back to God, and save them from their sins.

Thus spoke the Saviour of the world. There was no word in reply. In astonishment and in fear the rulers of the Jews, who had met together to seek the life of Jesus, found themselves. warned, reproved, and silenced. Their council was ended. They dared do nothing against him whose awful voice thus called them to the judgment-day.

Prayer.

O God, let thy word so abide in us that we may believe in him whom thou hast sent. Give us simple and humble hearts, that in searching the Scriptures we may find eternal life, for they are they which testify of thy Son.

Teach

We would come unto thee that we may have life. us that solemn truth, that, if we give our hearts to worldly desires, we cannot love thee or believe the word that thou hast given. O holy Jesus, let the Spirit that was in thee be found in us, that we may not seek the praise of our fellow-men, nor care for the honours we receive one from another; but that we may seek that honour which cometh from God only. And how great is that honour, to be the child of God!

O blessed Saviour, receive us and all who are dear to us into thy family, that, taught by thee, we may seek not our own will, but the will of God, and gladly spend our lives in our appointed work, so that at the last day we may be received into thy kingdom. Amen.

XII.

MATT. XII. 1-4. MARK II. 23.

LUKE VI. 1.

The Pharisees only hated Jesus the more for having put them to silence. He had spoken to them openly and solemnly as the Son of God-as the long-promised Messiah, of whom Moses and the prophets did write: but, though they could not answer him again, their hearts were only the more turned against him. He taught a pure religion, which was to change the whole mind of man, to raise the thoughts and wishes above earthly things, to the honour that cometh from God only; and the Pharisees saw that, if Jesus was received and obeyed by the people as their Lord, their own power would be at an end.

They were determined that He should not succeed; and from that time they took care to watch all he did and said. Some of them seem to have followed him from place to place, laying hold of every word and deed from which they could have the least pretence for accusing him to the people, and stirring up their minds against him.

Our Lord knew well their hatred, and their purpose. He knew that all his steps were watched, especially on the Sabbathday, for it was chiefly on the Sabbath they hoped to find some reason for accusing him. He calmly went on his way. His religion was to be the light of the world, and He would not hide that light for any fear of man. He had come to separate the evil from the good, and one of the greatest evils that the malice and cunning of Satan has brought upon the world, is the having so mixed sin with holy things that religion itself has been made the excuse for the pride of man's heart. All this the Lord Jesus was come to destroy. He was come to give back the holy, simple truth, to free the pure word of God from the traditions or sayings of men.

Calmly He went on his way, and having, as soon as the feast of the passover was ended, left Jerusalem, He returned with his disciples to Galilee. He cared not that his steps were watched by his enemies. His only care was to work out that which his Father had given him to do, and, while we read of him, let us lift up our hearts to God in earnest prayer that we may have grace given us, like him, calmly, diligently to follow on through the path of duty, caring not for the praise or blame of such men as seek only this world's glory. Let us, like our blessed Lord, seek that honour that cometh from God only, even the honour of doing his will, and helping others to know him and to serve him.

While the Lord Jesus was on his way from Jerusalem to Galilee,

LUKE vi. 1. 66 It came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first,* that He went through the corn-fields; and his disciples (were an hungred † and) plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands."

MATTHEW xii. 2. "But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day."

In the law given by God in old times to the Jews, the wayfaring man was expressly allowed to take what he wanted of the fruits and grains that grew on each side of the road by which he went, that he might satisfy his hunger; for, in those countries, in those early times, when the law was first given, there were few dwelling-places of men, and inns there were none, so that, had it not been for this kind law, the stranger must often have been faint and weary, often must have fallen down by the way-side before he could reach shelter for the night. All the laws of God

* "Second Sabbath," counting from the feast of Pentecost. See for explanation the note in Scott's Bible, on the 1st verse of Luke vi. which is too long to give here + Matt. xii. 1.