the conduct of a bishop, and it has been shewn that all instruction should be preceded by practice, for the purpose of recommending and adorning doctrine by the force of example, the writer proceeds to strengthen his argument by the following observation. For doubtless our Lord and teacher Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began first to do, and then to teach—as Luke says elsewhere (Acts, i. 1), The former treatise have I made of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.' For the same reason Christ says

himself (Matt. v. 19), whosoever shall do and teach' these commandments,' the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven'

This passage is an instance of the injudicious manner in which theological writers sometimes connect texts with subjects to which they have little or doubtful application. It would be idle to suppose that any inference can be

* Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν καὶ διδάσκαλος Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεῶν ἤρξατο πρῶτον ποιεῖν, καὶ τότε διδάσκειν ὡς που λέγει ὁ Λουκᾶς· ῶν ἤρξατο ὁ Ιησοῦς ποιεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν. Δίο Φησιν· ὃς δ ̓ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ του Θεόν.—Const. Apost. Lib. ii. Cap. 6.

safely drawn solely from the position of words in one or two sentences of the Bible, and all conclusions built on such a foundation must be worse than unsatisfactory. It is one of the excellencies of the wisdom given from above, that the canonical books of Scripture are free from all faults of this kind; though as soon as we look into the best works of uninspired writers, even of the primitive ages, frequent instances occur of this want of judgement.

But without having recourse to what is so little impressive, that even if allowed, it carries with it scarcely any weight, there are perhaps other considerations which may set the gradual order of our Saviour's teaching in a clearer light. It was not his purpose that the Gospel should be offered at its first promulgation to the Gentiles. Though it was to be the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth,' yet it was ordained that it was to be to the Jew first"? The Apostles were, therefore, forbidden at their

Rom. i. 16.

first mission to go amongst any but those of the house of Israel. 'Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 3.'

Hence when some Greeks at the last Passover came to Philip, desiring him to use his influence, in order to procure them an interview with Jesus, he first consults with Andrew, apparently through a doubt whether it would be proper to bring uncircumcised persons into the presence of their master, after the inhibition he had formerly given them. Jesus then thought proper to declare that the time was approaching when there was to be no difference between the Jew and the Greek, but that the same Lord was to be rich unto all that call upon him, and that all were to be one in Christ Jesus. And as it would facilitate the future preaching of the apostles among the Gentile part of their ministry, that some preliminary tidings of the light that

3 Matt. x. 5,

6.

4 John, xii. 20-22.

had arisen should be carried to those who were then sitting in darkness, it appears probable that the discourse of our Lord which followed, was delivered either as the strangers were approaching, or actually in their presence. This would give them an opportunity of improving. the hint of the gracious intention of the redeemer of Abraham's seed in their favour. They would be telling something of the good news of salvation in their own land, and some eyes would perhaps be looking towards the East in patient expectation of him who was to prove not only the consolation of Israel,' but of the heathen world.

Our Lord, therefore, seems to have viewed their application to be admitted into his presence, as an earnest of the flowing-in of all the Gentiles to him The hour is come,' said he, that the Son of Man should be glorified'—and if his hearers made a suitable use of this doctrine, they may have been instrumental on their return home in disposing the hearts of their countrymen to receive the saving truths which the messengers of

the Gospel would shortly propose to their acceptance. Thus we find in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles, that the Greeks are frequently mentioned by name among the heathen converts, as having embraced the proffered mercy of God. Titus was a Greek; and Timothy himself, one of the most active agents in the promulgation of Christianity, was also a Greek by the father's side. It is also particularly recorded, that at Iconium and at Thessalonica, there were among the number of the believers of the devout Greeks a great multitude".

The case of the daughter of the Syrophenician woman would be likely to have the effect of preparation in a similar manner in another quarter. She would be a living instance that though it was decreed by God that the children should first be filled, yet that the dogs under the table would not only be in their turn admitted to eat the children's crumbs, but to the full enjoyment of that supper which they that were

5 Gal. ii. 3. Acts, xvi. 1.

6 Acts, xiv. 1. xvii. 4.