13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him " for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15" And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, 'My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 'Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, 'Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, * but of the fathers ;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. ach. v. 16, 18.-b Lev. xxiii. 34.-c Mat. xii. 46. Mark iii. 31. Acts i. 14.-d Mark iii. 21.-e cb. ii. 4; & viii. 20. ver. viii. 30.-ƒ ch. xv. 19.-g ch. iii. 19.- ch. viii. 30. ver. 6.-i ch. xi. 56.-k ch. ix. 16; & x. 19.- Mat. xxi. 46. Luke vii. 16. ch vi. 14. ver. 40.-m ch. ix. 22; & xii. 42 ; & xix. 38 -n Mat. xiii. 54. Mark vi. 2. Luke iv. 22. Acts il. 7.- Or, learning.-o ch. iii. 11; & viii. 28; & xii. 49; & xiv. 10, 24.-p Ecclus. xxi. 11. ch. viii. 43.-q ch. v. 41 ; & viii. 50.-r Ex. xxiv. 3. Deut. xxxiii. 4. John i. 17. Acts vii. 38.- Mat. xii. 14. Mark iii. 6-ch. v. 16, 18 ; & x. 31, 39; & xi. 58.-1 ch. viii. 48, 52; & x. 20.-u Lev xii. 3.- Gen. xvii. 10.— Or, without breaking the law of Moses.-y ch. v. 8. 9, 16. Deut. i. 16, 17. Prov. xxiv. 23. ch. viii. 15. Jam. ii. 1. a man; I profess myself to be a Christian man. It is reason that makes me a man: it is faith that makes me a Christian. The wise and bountiful God hath vouchsafed to hold forth four several lights to men; all which move in four several orbs, one above another; the light of sense, the light of reason, the light of faith, the light of ecstatical or Divine vision. And all of these are taken up with their own proper objects: sense is busied about these outward and material things: reason is confined to things intelligible: faith is employed in matters supernatural and spiritual: Divine vision, in objects celestial, and infinitely glorious. None of these can exceed their bounds; and extend to a sphere above their own. What can the brute creature, which is led by mere sense, do, or apprehend, in matters of understanding and discourse? What can mere man, who is led by reason, discern in spiritual and supernatural things? What can the Christian, who is led by faith, which is "the evidence of things not seen," attain unto in the clear vision of God and heavenly glory? READER. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.-It is God's revelation, not the ratiocination of man, that must give us light into these Divine mysteries. Were it a matter of human disquisition, why did not those sages of nature, the learned philosophers of former times, reach unto it? but now a more learned man than they, the great doctor of the Gentiles, tells us, that the gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ yields forth the revelation of the mysteries which were "kept secret since the world began; but are now I will, therefore, follow my sense manifested by the Scriptures of the so far as that will lead me; and not Prophets; and, according to the suffer myself to be beaten off from commandment of the everlasting so sure a guide. Where my sense God, made known to all nations leaves me, I will betake myself to for the obedience of faith." Rom. the direction of reason, and, in all xvi. 25, 26. Lo, he saith not to the natural and moral things, shall be obedience of reason, but of faith; willingly led by the guidance thereof. and that faith doth more transcend But, when it comes to supernatural reason, than reason doth sense. and Divine truths; when I have the Thou urgest me, therefore, to be word of a God for my assurance, farewell reason, and welcome faith: as, when I shall have dispatched this weary pilgrimage, and from a traveller shall come to be a comprehensor, farewell faith, and welcome vision. In the mean time, I shall labour, what I may, to understand all revealed truths; and when I cannot apprehend, I shall adore: humbly submitting to that word of the great and holy God, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord: For, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah lv. 8, 9.HALL. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. It is not an hearing and knowing our duty that will stand us in any stead before God, but our doing of it; it is not our believing that we may be saved by believing in Christ, whereby we can be saved, without actual believing in him, without such a faith whereby we depend upon him, for the pardon and salvation of our immortal souls, and consequently for the assistance of his grace and Spirit, whereby we may be enabled to obey his gospel, and to perform all such things as himself hath told us are necessary in order to our everlasting happiness and whatsoever faith we pretend to, unless it comes to this, that it puts us upon universal obedience to all the commands of God, we may conclude it will do us no : good, for it is not such a faith as Christ requires, which always works by love, conquers the world, subdues sin, purifies the heart, and sanctifies the whole soul wheresoever it comes. It is such a faith as this which is the wedding-garment, without which no man is chosen or admitted to partake of those celestial banquets, which Christ our Saviour hath provided for us. And therefore no man can have any ground at all to believe or hope himself to be elected or chosen to eternal salvation, that is not holy in all manner of conversation; God himself hath told us expressly, "That without holiness no man shall see the Lord.". BEVERIDGE. "The wise increaseth learning." Prov. i. Wouldest thou but receive and hearken to the easiest things represented by God, these would enlighten and enlarge thy soul to receive more; especially walking by the light thou hast, be it never so little, that invites and draws in more. Be diligent in the practice of that you know; if you would know more, believe it, that is the way to grow. "Whoso observes,' (keep these things, acts according to the knowledge of them) he shall understand," Job vii. 17; shall understand it by finding it, (shall understand it in themselves, the word is in the reciprocal mood,) it shall be particularly and effectually shown unto him; they shall experience it, and so understand it.-LEIGHTON. HYMN. Jesus, my Saviour and my Lord, To Thee I lift mine eyes, Oh, may thy word my thoughts engage And grow in ev'ry grace. Oh, let it purify my heart And guide me all my days! § CCXLVIII. CHAP. VII. 25—53. Christ teacheth in the temple. Divers opinions of him among the people. The Pharisees are angry that their officers took him not, and chide with Nicodemus for taking his part. 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. "Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 'Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, 30 Then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? 32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then said Jesus unto them, 'Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. come? d where I am, thither ye cannot | Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, 37 In the last day, that Never man spake like this great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 'He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, 'out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Jesus was not yet 'glorified.) 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, of a truth this is" the Prophet. 41 Others said, "This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.) g 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. h a ver. 48.- Mat. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 3. Luke iv. 22. -c See ch. viii. 14.-d ch. v. 43; & viii. 42.-e ch. v. 32; & viii. 26. Rom. iii. 4.-fch. I. 18; & viii. 55.-g Mat. xi. 27. ch. x. 15.-h Mark xi. 18. Luke xix. 47; & xx. seed of David, and out of the 19. ver. 19. ch. viii. 37.-i ver. 44. ch. viii. 20.—k Mat. 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, xii. 23. ch. iii. 2; & viii. 30.-/ ch. xiii. 33; & xvi. 16. -m Hos. v. 6. ch. viii. 21; & xiii. 33.-n Is. xi. 12; Jam.i. 1. 1 Pet. i. 1.- Or, Greeks,-o Lev. xxiii. 36. -p Is. Iv. 1. ch. vi. 35. Rev. xxii. 17.-g Deut. xviii. 15. Prov. xviii. 4. Is. xii. 3; & xliv. 3. ch. iv. 14.-s Is. xliv. 3. Joel ii. 28. ch. xvi. 7. Acts ii. 17, 33, 38. ch. xii. 16; & xvi. 7.-u Deut. xviii. 15, 18. ch. 1. 21; & vi. 14.- ch. iv. 42; & vi. 69.-y ver. 52. ch. i. 46.-} Ps. cxxxii. 11. Jer. xxiii. 5. Mic. v. 2. Mat. ii. 5. Lnke ii. 4.-a1 Sam. xvi. 1, 4.-6 ver. 12. ch. ix. 16; & x. 19. c ver. 30.-d Mat. vii. 29.-e ch. xii. 42. Acts vi. 7. 1 Cor. i. 20, 26; & ii. 8.-fch. iii. 2.—† Gr. to him. Deut. i. 17; & xvii. 8, &c.; & xix. 15.- Is. ix. 1, 2. Mat. iv. 15. ch. i. 46. ver. 41. READER.-Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am : and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.—The holy Jesus, having showed forth the treasures of his Father's wisdom, |
