Jesus had thought of the coming kingdom as something to be earnestly desired and prayed for; but though John represented it as a time of fiery wrath of the Almighty, the Nazarene, seeing the effects of the Baptist's preaching on the people, is greatly rejoiced thereat, and thus still views John's announcement as "good tidings."

When, after some time has elapsed and his feelings have subsided, he sees the enthusiasm of the people, and hears rumours of the interference of the authorities (having probably conferred with John as to who will be anointed, and having learned that it may possibly be Jesus' self), imagination involuntarily takes a rapid flight. What if John should proclaim him to the people as Messiah! He beholds himself quickly at the head of an enthusiastic and victorious host, freeing Israel from the grasp of the Roman, and going on conquering and to conquer till the whole world lies at his feet. Shall he, then, take any step to induce John to make such an announcement? Nay, verily; he that seeketh his own glory shall be thrown down, God alone must be exalted in that day. Thus Jesus becomes conscious of having resisted a second assault of the enemy of souls.

But when the Baptist has been arrested-strange that the Messiah has not appeared to deliver him, may he not be neglecting the work God intends him to do? What if this should be Jesus himself? Should he not, at least, try whether the power of God is with him? Yet no, the command is express-"Thou shall not try Jahveh thy God as they did at Massah, saying, 'Is the power of God among us or not?'" And so a third time Jesus is victor.

Having this consciousness of the evil of self-seeking, and especially of trying to force God's hand in the matter of the Messiahship (is it not clear that the whole force of the trial lay in his ignorance of who would be anointed?); it follows that, having remained true to his conceptions of duty, Jesus

will now resolve to leave the whole matter in the hands of the Highest, to reveal to Israel as Messiah whomsoever he will and whensoever. As there is delay, it must be for a wise purpose, and is not that purpose apparent, namely, that the people of the north of the land of Israel should have an opportunity of repentance and preparation for the kingdom as those of the south have had by the Baptist?

From Joel's description of "the great day of Jahveh," when all shall prophesy, Jesus believes himself called to exercise the functions of a prophet, and to summon Galilee to repentance, as John did Judæa, announcing also the "good tidings" that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," to complete the preparation for the Messiah's coming. instead of drawing great crowds to one spot, as must be done by the continuance of baptism, and so exciting the suspicions of Herod, he deems it best to begin quietly in the synagogue at Capernaum, where he resides, for surely others will be moved of the Spirit to preach in other places, so that soon the whole land will have heard the proclamation, and all things will be ready for the appearing of God's chief minister, the representative of Himself.

Instead, then, of representing Jesus as offering himself to the people as a Spiritual Messiah, and demanding belief in himself as such, or as having contemplated the introduction of a new religion, which should subvert Judaism and extend over the whole world (since for neither of these theories is there the least shadow of evidence), let him be conceived of as acting in the manner that would be most natural to such a character under the above circumstances, without any consciousness of supernatural power, except such as he deemed to appertain to the prophetic office; and he must be regarded as teaching, in the main, much as he is represented to have taught in the first Gospel.

Let such a conception of Jesus, then, be presented to

the world, and it may be seen how little mysterious was his career.

Indeed, its outlines may be, now and here, indicated by giving in brief-(what should be written more at large) -some account of the Jesus of Matthew and Mark, divested of the supernatural halo which has been since thrown around him, leaving, however, as much as appears to have been believed in by Jesus and his contemporaries, through unscientific inferences from phenomena, natural and explainable, though perhaps then unprecedented.

The preaching of the prophet of Nazareth was eminently adapted to the wants of the time. As the Baptist did, so Jesus called men to repentance, for that the heavenlike kingdom was at hand. Crowds were apparently repentant, and to them he addressed words of comfort and encouragement. Although judgment had been delayedhad not come so swiftly as John had led the people to expect-yet Jesus could still utter the same formula, for was not each of their souls a microcosm where the will of God should have entire sway? And where God thus

reigns, is not that his kingdom? Thus Jesus exhorted the people to seek, above all things, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He taught them in what true righteousness consisted-the love of God and of man— epitomizing the law and the prophets in his golden rule. His preaching was marked by the absence of reference to the Messiah, in accordance with his former resolve to lay aside all thought on this subject, so that God might reveal his Anointed at his pleasure.

If they believed the good tidings that this internal kingdom was immediately at hand, and if they, therefore, repenting of past sin, would seek it, let them tell their heavenly Father of their desire; let them pray that his kingdom may come, that his will be done on earth as in

heaven. Along with such prayer goes reformation, ceasing from evil, learning to do well, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Let them forgive those who have offended them, and then pray in confidence for their Father's full forgiveness; also, that they may be kept by the power of God from all assaults of the evil one, Satan, who is constantly trying to extend his kingdom in their souls. If they pray for the Holy Spirit, how is it possible for the Father to withhold it? They give their children food when hunger's cry demands it, how much more will their heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. The time, then, is at hand, and God has begun to baptize with the Holy Ghost. Jesus can draw on his own recent experience, and describe in heartfelt tones of sincere reality the blessedness of the man "to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." God will pour out his Spirit upon all; "their sons and their daughters shall prophesy;" all may know the Father, and be baptized with the Holy Spirit, if only from the heart they wish it.

If these things were believed by persons mourning for their sins and in fear of "the coming wrath," what a revolution of feeling must have ensued,—and how greatly their effect was enhanced by the personality of the prophet of Nazareth we can but conjecture! But many who were in terror of the judgment heard the word, and anon with joy received it. Some of the phenomena of conversion were now first experienced. These are very varied, but many modern instances should be given, with narrations of some of the peculiar physical effects known to have resulted from precisely similar revulsions of feeling, from terror to love and joy. We know the genus, if not the species.

At that day, with the prevalent notions of demoniacal possession and exorcism, these hitherto unknown physical

convulsions (which prostrated many of the subjects of conversion), and their issue in ecstatic outbursts of praise and in manifestly changed character, must have been deemed owing to the expulsion of the demons, the convulsions being caused by them in their rage at the prospect of being driven forth. Doubtless some, during the paroxysms, imagined themselves possessed, and personated the demon, as in modern instances of a similar nature.

But, not to enlarge, these extraordinary, nay, unprecedented phenomena are to the people (and also to Jesus) clear signs of divine power-proofs to them that a prophet, mighty in word and deed, has arisen in their midst. He surely, then, as God is working with him, will be able to heal all their diseases.

Thus we see the genesis of faith in Jesus as a miracleworker; it can hardly have been otherwise.

Here is the place to give a few instances and testimonies respecting the power of faith and feeling, tending to show the great probability that at Capernaum and elsewhere in Galilee many cases of healing, temporary and permanent, actually occurred.

Jesus, reviewing the effect of his preaching, as he must naturally be expected to do after the "miraculous manifestations," is confirmed in his belief that the kingdom is being established, that a people is rapidly being prepared for the king. He notes, too, that some of the signs thereof evidently correspond to those indicated by Isaiah, and though he has had no direct revelation to the effect, yet he can hardly avoid expecting that himself is destined for the Messianic dignity; but sees, too, that, be it as it may, he has as yet no warrant for departing from his present course of preparation, which fully occupies all his powers.

Our great Teacher, whose preaching has been hitherto