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Nicodemus, that he was not merely, as at first supposed, a teacher come from God, but the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel; for he afterwards constantly espoused his cause in the great council of the nation; and when his countrymen put him to an ignominious death, together with Joseph of Arimathea, conveyed him to burial, when all others had forsaken him.

The time of the passover at Jerusalem being expired, Jesus, together with his disciples, withdrew into the remote parts of Judea, where he continued a considerable time preaching the kingdom of God, and baptizing the new converts. John the Baptist being also at the same time, baptizing in the river Enon, a dispute arose between his disciples and certain Jews, concerning the preference of the baptism of Jesus.

Being unable to decide the point, they referred it to the opinion of John, on which the pious Baptist immediately declared, that he was only the harbinger of the great Mes siah, who baptized not only with water, but with the Holy Spirit, adding, that his own ministry was on the decline, as the beauty of the morning star, the harbinger of the sun, decreases when that fountain of light dawns in the chambers of the east.

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nistry, could not fail to remonstrate on the impiety and injustice of a known practice of Herod, which was, his cohabiting with Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; and thereby incurring the displeasure of that ambitious woman, he was, at her instance, thrown into prison, there to be reserved for future destruction.

Whilst these things happened in Galileo, our blessed Lord continued preaching in the wilderness, whither great numbers resorted, attracted by curiosity, to see the miracles which fame reported he daily wrought. The success of his ministry exciting the envy of the hypocritical tribe of Pharisees, our blessed Lord thought proper to retire into Galilee, in order to promote the design of his mission in those parts.

In the course of his journey, being weary with travelling in so warm a country, and excessive thirsty, he sat down in Samaria, by a celebrated well, given by the old patriarch Jacob to his son Joseph, while his disciples were gone to the city to procure provisions.

While the humble Jesus was sitting by the well side, a woman, a native of the country, came with her pitcher to fetch water; and our Lord requested of her to give him to drink. The appearance of Jesus astonished the woman, because she knew him to be a Jew, and the Samaritans were held in the utmost contempt by those people, who, indeed, arrogated a preference to all nations upon the earth. But though she knew him to be a Jew, she knew not that he was the Son of God, full of grace and truth, divested of human prejudices, and the very essence of humility and every virtue. As the design of his coming into the world was to promote the real happiness of mankind, he embraced every opportunity of enforcing his salutary doctrines, and therefore, though his thirst was extreme, he delayed its gratification, in order to inform this woman, though of an infamous character, of the

means by which she might obtain living water, or, in other words, eternal life. As the best method to effect this purpose, he gave her to understand, that had she known the character of the supplicant, she would have eagerly satisfied his desire, and having been retaliated by a gift, the most invaluable, even living water, issuing from the well of eternal salvation.

The woman, taking his words in the common acceptation, imagining that he suggested his power of supplying her with water flowing from a perpetual spring, which in that parched climate appeared impossible, demanded of him, if he was vested with a power superior to their father Jacob, who dug this well, drank out of it with his family, and left it for the benefit of posterity.

The Saviour and friend of mankind, still benign in his purpose towards this poor wretch, replied, "That all who drank of the water of Jacob's well would thirst again, being but a temporary allay of a desire incident to human nature; whereas those who drank of the water which he was ready to dispense, should never thirst; because that water flowed from the inexhaustible fountain of Divine Grace, and could not be drained but with immensity itself."

Though this great Preacher of Israel, by a simple and natural allegory, displayed the power of divine authority, the woman, blind to the allusion, endeavoured to turn his pious and benevolent discourse to ridicule, desiring the gift of that living water, which would for ever prevent her from thirsting for the future.

To shew her the malignity of her presumption, in turning into contempt the discourse of him, who had the words of eternal life, the blessed Jesus, by some pertinent questions and replies, evinced his knowledge of her infamous course of life, and by that means convinced her that he acted under an, influence more than human. To evade, however, the present subject of discourse,

which filled her with a degree of awe and fear, she proposed to his discussion a case long warmly contested between the Jews and Samaritans; whether mount Gerizman, or the city of Jerusalem, was destined by God, as the place peculiarly set apart for religious worship? Our blessed Lord replied to this evasive, as well as insignificant question, that it was not the place, but the manner in which adoration was offered to the Father of Spirits, that rendered such worship acceptable, observing, that "God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John iv. 24.

In consequence of this reply to her, which apparently referred to things spiritual and eternal, she informed the blessed Jesus of her expectation of the arrival of the promised Messiah, who should punctually inform them concerning these points so long and undecisively contested.

Our Lord embracing the opportunity of preaching himself to this poor woman, as the Saviour of sinners, replied, without hesitation, "I that speak unto thee am he."

While Jesus continued talking with the woman, his disciples returned, and approached him at the very time when he told the woman that he was the Messiah. Though they were astonished at his condescension in conversing with an inhabitant of Samaria, and even of instructing her in the doctrines of religion, none presumed to ask him why he conversed with one who was an enemy to the Jews, and the worship in the temple at Jerusalem?-But the woman hearing Jesus call himself the Messiah, left her pitcher, and ran into the city to publish the glad tidings, that the great deliverer of mankind was then sitting by the well of Jacob; and had told her all the secret transactions of her life. This report astonished the Samaritans, and, at the same time roused their curiosity to see a person foretold by Moses and the prophets, and of whose appearance there was then so universal an expectation.

The disciples, on their return, set before their master the provision they had purchased; but he, wholly absorbed in meditation, refused the refreshment so highly requisite, telling them he had "meat to eat that they knew nothing of."

This unexpected answer surprised his disciples, who, understanding his words in their natural sense, asked one another, Whether any person had, during their absence, supplied him with provisions? But Jesus soon explained the mystery, by telling them, that he did not mean natural, but spiritual food; that to execute the commission he had received from his Father, was far better to him than meat or drink; and the satisfaction he was going to receive from the conversion of the Samaritans was much greater than any sensual enjoyment.

Many of the Samaritans were now near Jesus, who, lifting up his eyes, and seeing the ways crowded with people coming to him from the city, stretched out his benevolent hand towards them, and addressed his disciples in the following manner: "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." John iv. 35. Behold yonder multitudes, how they are thronging to hear the word, which has only a few minutes been sown in their hearts! It is not, therefore, always necessary to wait with patience for the effect; for it sometimes immediately follows the cause. To gather this spiritual harvest, and finish the work of him that sent me, is my proper food; adding, for the encouragement of his disciples, as you have laboured with me in the harvest of souls, so shall you participate in the great recompence of eternal reward: "He that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together." John iv. 36.

at the words of the woman, that they were fully persuaded that Jesus could be no other than the great Messiah; accordingly their first request was, that he would deign to take up his residence in their city. The compassionate Redeemer of the human race so far complied, as to stay with them two days, an interval which he spent in preaching the kingdom of God; so that the greatest part of the city embraced the doctrine of the gospel, and at his departure, the people said unto the woman, "Now we believe, notb ecause of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world," Johir iv. 42.

Having accomplished his gracious design in Samaria, Jesus continued his journey to Galilee, to exercise his ministry, and preach there the kingdom of God; telling his disci ples, that the time was now accomplished which had been pre-determined by Omnipotence, for erecting the happy kingdom of the Prince of Peace; and, therefore, the Mosaic ceremonies were no longer obligatory, righteousness alone being now required from the children of men.

Our Lord having performed several miracles at Jerusalem, during the passover, at which the inhabitants of Galilee were present. His preaching was, therefore, at first attended with great success, for they listened attentively to his doctrine, and received it with particular kindness and courtesy; especially the people of Cana, where he had turned the water into wine.

During his residence in that city, a nobleman of Capernaum came to him, requesting, with great humility and reverence, that he would come down and heal his son, who was at the point of death. Our blessed Lord readily complied with the latter part of his request; but to remove a prejudice they had conceived, that it was necessary to be personally present, in order to restore the sick person to health, refused to go down to Many of the people had been so affected Capernaum, dismissing the Father with this

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assurance, that his son was restored to health, "Go thy way, thy son liveth." The nobleman obeyed the word of Jesus, and immediately departed for his own house; but before his arrival he was met by his servants, with the joyful news that his son was recovered. The father enquired at what time he was perceived to be better; and from their answer was satisfied, that immediately after the words were spoken by our Lord, the fever left him, and he was recovered in a miraculous manner. This amazing instance of his power and goodness abundantly convinced the nobleman and his family, that Jesus was the true Messiah, the great Prophet so long promised to the world.

After some stay in the city and neighbourhood of Cana, Jesus went to Nazareth, where he spent the greatest part of his youth, and, as his constant custom was, went to the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and read that celebrated prediction of the Messiah in the prophet Isaiah, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke iv. 18, 19.

It should be remembered, that our blessed Saviour read this passage in the original Hebrew, which was then a dead language; and, as he had never been taught letters, could do it only by inspiration from above. But he did more; he explained the passage with such strength of reason, and beauty of expression, that the inhabitants of Nazareth, who well knew he had never been initiated into the rudiments of learning, heard him with astonishment. But as he had performed no miracle in their city, they were offended at him Perhaps they thought the place of his residence should have been his peculiar care; and as he could, with a single word, heal the sick at a distance, not a single

person in Nazareth should have been afflicted with any kind of disease. That they really entertained sentiments of this kind seems plain from our Saviour's own words: "Ye will surely say to me, Physician, heal thyself: whatever we have had done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country." Evidently alluding to the great and benevolent miracle he had wrought on the nobleman's

son.

But the holy Jesus, by enumerating the miracles Elijah had done in behalf of the widow of Serepta, who was a heathen, and the inhabitant of an idolatrous city, in the time of famine, when many widows in Israel perished with hunger; and of Naaman the Syrian, who was cured of his leprosy by the prophet Elisha, when numbers of Jews, afflicted with the same loathsome disease, were suffered to continue in their uncleanness, sufficiently proved that the prophets had, on some extraordinary occasions, wrought miracles in favour of those whom the Israelites, from a fond conceit of their being the peculiar favourites of heaven, judged unworthy of such marks of particular favour. The council were so inceused at this reply, that forgetting the sanctity of the sabbath, they hurried him through the streets" to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built," intending to cast him headlong down the precipice; but the Son of God defeated their cruel intentions, by rendering himself invisible, and withdrawing from the fury of so wretched a people.

CHAP. VI.

Our Lord proceeds to Capernaum. Adds to the number of his followers. Proclaims the Gospel in Galilee. Preaches to a numerous Audience his well known andexcellent Discourse upon the Mount.

HE great Redeemer, aggrieved by the cruel Nazarenes, departed from them, and fixed his habitation in Capernaum, the

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