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ment at that time to their bad

shook off the dust of their feet

and departed to another place.

passions, but

against them,

It seems that

in such cases the ministers of Christ are to take as their rule the saying of their master respecting some of the Pharisees whom he had offended -Let them alone.'-Silence and separation are the most becoming, and perhaps not the least effective weapons, with which such offenders can be assailed.

It may perhaps be asked, how the uncompromising character of John the Baptist's ministry agrees with this view of what prudence seems to require from the Christian teacher. The severity and openness with which he reproved the Pharisees, Matt. iii. 7, who flocked with seeming readiness to his doctrine, may appear to be at variance with the spirit of our Lord's instructions to his disciples, and his personal example. The terms, however, of John's address were very suitable to one who spoke

6 Acts, xiii. 45–51.

7 Matt. xv. 14.

with the authority and penetration of a prophet, but should be imitated with caution by those who bear an inferior commission. His language served to teach this important lessonthat when the profession of piety is common, it is incumbent on ministers to be careful how they sanction or promote the advances of hypocrites. At the same time it is peculiarly necessary to pray to the Father of lights,' for discernment of spirits, lest one who is not far from the kingdom of heaven should be discouraged, or a little one offended.

3. It is clearly our duty not to tempt God by acting as if we presumed on his interference in our behalf, by miraculous protection, when the use of ordinary means would be sufficient to extricate us from danger.

Dr. Clagett says on John, vii.-It seems probable from ver. 1, 7, 11, that the Jews had formed some treacherous design against him.

* See Is. i. 10, and Matt. xxiii, 33.

? James, i. 17.

Thus, though our Lord determined to go to the feast, in obedience to the divine command, yet he went privately to avoid the danger, showing in this manner that he would not use a miraculous power to escape the designs of his enemies, when human prudence would serve.

The Evangelists have recorded only three instances of our Lord's preserving himself from violence by miracle, and in each of these, a sudden irritation seems to have been excited against him, which, to a common observer, previous appearances gave little reason to expect. It was immediately after the people of Nazareth had borne witness to him in their synagogue, and all had wondered,' as St. Luke expressly marks, at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth,' that, on our Lord's asserting his right to work miracles where he pleased, a tumult arose in which the whole assembly participated who had just united in admiring and applauding him. All they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up,

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and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.' Then it was that in such an imminent danger, which no human precaution could have averted, he gave them as it were a practical rebuke for their presumption in requiring him to show amongst them the signs which he had wrought at Capernaum, by miraculously withdrawing himself from their hands. He, passing through the midst of them, went his way '.'

Two other occurrences of the same kind are recorded by St. John. One of them, like the last mentioned, took place in the temple, to the holiness of which it might have been thought respect would have been paid,--and at a peculiarly solemn festival,-the day after the conclusion of the feast of tabernacles. It happened also, as in the other instance, that an unusual success had apparently attended the first part of his discourse, for the Evangelist calls attention

Luke, iv. 28-30.

to the fact, that as he spake these words, many believed on him.' But no sooner did he proceed to assert the priority of his existence to Abraham, than, under pretence that he blasphemed, the Jews broke out into open violence and attempted to stone him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by 2.'

6

The other instance was under circumstances precisely similar-in the temple at Jerusalem, and at the feast of the dedication. But notwithstanding the sanctity of the place, and the motive which had brought them together, the Jews'sought again to take him, but he escaped out of their hand,' and avoided giving further offence by withdrawing to a distance, beyond Jordan. It would seem also, by the expression used by St. John, as if it were more than a temporary retirement of a few days, for, says the Evangelist, there he abode 3.'

2 John, viii. 30–59.

3 John, x. 39, 40.

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