maritans, in common with the Jews, looked for. Certain expressions of his recorded as belonging to the same occasion bespeak a mind earnest about the prosecution of some work of the greatest and highest interest: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John iv, 34.

When arrived in Galilee, he taught publicly; using the expression that the kingdom of God. was at hand, a term expressive of the Advent of the expected Messiah", being listened to with readiness, as it is said, on account of the miracles he had done in the presence of his countrymen when at Jerusalem; in addition to which he is said to have wrought others there also. In the course of his journeying he comes to Nazareth ; and there, on the sabbath-day, in the synagogue,

His true character from the first, from John viii, 25; "Then said they unto him, who art thou? and Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning:" but this appears to be best explained by x, 24, 25; "Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly: Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." See John v, 36.

n-It was the

to denote this:

expression generally used by our Lord Matt. xii, 28; Luke, ix, 60, 62; xvii,

20; and following.

he selects and reads aloud a remarkable passage of Isaiah, which might be fairly considered descriptive of the Messiah, and which he tells them was that day fulfilled in their hearing. He was heard with attention, and astonishment at his knowledge (for one so poorly educated), till their pride being wounded by certain of his expressions, they proceeded to throw him down the precipice on which their town was built; but he, who had not feared to excite their rage, avoided the effects of it°.

I would observe on this passage, that Jesus of Nazareth who so constantly showed himself regardless of personal danger, yet here, and on other occasions to be noticed in the sequel, avoided it when it was likely to lead to another kind of death than that which he appears determinately, and, as it were, systematically to have pursued.

After this event he proceeds to Capernaum, where it is remarked of him that, "He taught as one having authority, and not as their ordinary teachers." Here he summons to follow him some

• Whether miraculously or not, is not said, and makes no difference to the present argument. Compare the present place (Luke iv, 30) "But he passing through the midst of them went his way :" with John viii, 59; "Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

C

of those who became afterwards his most constant followers; and is stated to have wrought miraculous cures, in consequence of which "the whole. city," as it is said, was gathered together about the door, interested in the fate of their sick, or from curiosity.

It is worth while to observe what he is recorded to have done the following day: "He rose up a great while before day, and went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed." Mark i, 35.

It is observable,

1. Because we find him constantly to have done this, whenever the notoriety, or the report, of his miracles had drawn about him a very numerous assemblage of adherents; see Matt. (viii, 18,) xiv, 22 (after the miracle of feeding the five thousand); "And straightway Jesus constrained his

P On the present occasion I omit altogether the consideration of the cases of demoniacs (Mark i, 23, sqq.) although they might come within the compass of my argument, inasmuch as our Lord is stated to have prohibited any recognition of Himself by the possessed.

a The numbers of those assembled on the present occasion appears from Mark i, 33; "And all the city was gathered together at the door :" from ver. 37; "All men seek for thee;" as Peter expresses it; and perhaps from Matt. viii, 18; "Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him," etc.; as it may be doubted whether this does not come in connection with the above.

disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come he was there alone"."

2. The reason is not given in the place we are considering, but the circumstances being the same, we may fairly conclude it to have been the same with that which is assigned on other occasions; namely, a desire to avoid the intemperate zeal of the multitude, who would have proclaimed him a king: see John vi, 15 (after a signal miracle stated to have been performed by him for the relief of a large multitude); "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone."

St. Matthew and St. Mark on this occasion relate the same fact, but without assigning the reason; which may therefore be fairly presumed to be omitted in other similar cases.

r I purposely omit the parallel places in every instance where they add nothing to the evidence.

$ It is an observation I would make, by the way, that St. Mark, in the place quoted (i, 35) does not even state that our Lord retired for the purpose, also, of secret prayer; but merely mentions the fact of his praying a manner of relating the circumstance very con

Being sought out and found by his disciples; in answer to a reproof, as it appears to have been, from one of them "That all men (i. e. all who were assembled at the town he had left) were seeking for him," he replies, that they should proceed to other places in the neighbourhood, to preach there also," for therefore came I forth;" Mark i, 38; and accordingly he makes his progress through Galilee, teaching publicly, as we are told, healing inveterate diseases, and followed by a multitude from all the neighbouring countries'.

In one instance, which is recorded at length, the cure of a case of leprosy, he forbids the man (Luke v, 14) to make it known; which is deserving of remark;

1. Because it was subsequently so often done by him":

sistent with the simplicity of truth, and very different from what would have been adopted by one who wished to set every thing in the fairest light.

t Matt. iv, 23-25. I make this quotation in accordance with the arrangement of the Harmony which I follow throughout: it may be doubted whether that arrangement be correct in this and some other instances; but as it makes no difference to the argument, I do not think it necessary to interrupt the reader by a discussion.

u The instances are so numerous that it is almost unnecessary to quote any: see, however, Matt. ix, 30; Mark v, 43; vii, 36; viii, 26.

It may be observed that of these four instances, one