But alas! the offer is not accepted, of “wine and milk without money and without price”of a gratuitous supply, reviving and nutritious, uninterrupted, and like a fountain, springing up into everlasting life.

The Lord now fulfils that word, "I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring;" he fulfils his promise, and " pours water out upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:" but alas! though the people be dry and barren, they thirst not for the water of life.

In this perennial fountain, ever cooling, ever cleansing, is the wisdom, hidden from the foundation of the world. In this despised, rejected Galilean are the issues of life in this Man of Sorrows, we perceive him of whom Solomon speaks, that one man whom the royal writer saw afar off, is now nigh to us, within our reach, yet he is not received. Alas! truly does David say of them, "Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god."

The followers of the Lord Jesus have a goodly heritage, but they must patiently wait for it;

and in the meanwhile submit to feel here with their Master, sorrow in their hearts daily. Yet as his grace has inclined their hearts to take him as their portion, it will carry them over mountain and precipice, and through the wilderness and deep waters, until every earthly trial is swallowed up in heavenly joy.

H

XVIII.

JOHN VIII. 1-22.

THE evening was advanced when Jesus retired "to the Mount of Olives," whose height so commands Jerusalem, that the eye is enabled to roam over its streets and around its walls. Upon this beautiful hill, which is inclosed on all sides by the loftier mountains "which are round about the city," many a night is passed by our blessed Lord in pouring out his soul in prayer for his disciples, and for those also who seek his life.

The topmost pinnacle of the temple is just gilded by the rising sun, and our Lord is again on his way to join the early service. The great bell, named megemphita, is tolling its deep notes of call, as he enters the piazzas of the outer court, and passes through the portals of the gate Nicanor, into the court of the Israelites; he

finds many waiting to join him some of whom have loved him from the first, and know him to be their salvation, and a goodly company are gathered about him, as he seats himself to teach.

For a moment our attention is withdrawn by footsteps in the women's court, and looking towards a beautiful range of pillars of purest white, we observe Scribes and Pharisees advancing, and with them a female in deep distress, who appears either unwilling or unable to keep pace with her conductors, who rudely force her onwards. She endeavours to conceal her face, and it is evident she is overwhelmed with shame and confusion: O why are ye so ungentle with this weak creature? And why, unhappy woman, is force needful to bring you into his presence, whose every thought and word is love, and mercy, and peace. Hast thou sinned? Then with humbled heart approach him who alone can forgive sin, whose arm is not shortened that it cannot save. Is thy life threatened? Still come, we can testify of his power in raising the dead, come willingly, even with these thine accusers. And now the woman stands before the Lord,

and they tell him that her guilt is incontestably proved, and that the law of Moses condemns her to be stoned to death; but they add, "What sayest thou?" We might from this question suppose that they are seeking directions from the Lord of life, that they may obtain for the woman a mitigation of the dreadful sentence, but He, from whom nothing is hid, knows that "this they said tempting him," that they might ensnare him into an interference with the administration of the laws, and thus might have wherewithal to accuse him; and he replies not, but stooping down, with his finger writes on the ground, as though he heard them not, and wished them to feel that he was aware of their subtle contrivance.

The Pharisees press Jesus for an answer, which they seem to think him unable to give, without compromising himself either with the Jewish rulers or the Roman governor. They little expect a reply, which by an irresistible appeal to their consciences, would prevent them from being the executioners of their prisoner, and which consequently would save her life. When