through the merits of the Redeemer? Yet, when his fellow-Christian owes him a hundred pence, when he commits against him the most trivial offence, he too often refuses him forgiveness 3. Men commonly plead the greatness of the injury done to them, as a reason for not forgiving the offender. But whosoever thou mayest be that uses this argument, lay thine hand upon thine heart, and bethink thyself in what offences hast thou not trespassed against God. Look up to that just and powerful Being, who is above, and consider well whether thou dost not both expect and stand in need of more mercy and favour from Him, than thou canst find in thine heart to show to thine offending brother *.

SECT. LXXIV.-Christ goeth up to Jerusalem to the Feast of Tabernacles.-John vii. 1-43.

It was so ordered by Providence that our blessed Saviour's reputation was very little owing to the interests of His brethren or kindred. God Almighty chose that His Gospel should work its way in the world under every difficulty and opposition, by the notoriety of the miracles performed, and the purity of the doctrine taught. His brethren and kinsfolk, (who, according to the most ancient opinion, were the sons of Joseph by a former wife, or the sons of His mother's sister, the wife of

3

Bishop Porteus.

4

Archbishop Tillotson.

S

Cleophas; for it is consistent with the language of the Jews to call cousins by the name of brethren,) persons very mean in rank, were among the most backward to believe on Him3. They had endeavoured to check His earlier exertions to instruct the people, which they then conceived to be extravagant and enthusiastic. They now urge Him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, that His disciples in Judæa might see His works; for they thought that the privacy that He seemed desirous to keep in, was not answerable to the character He assumed: and they doubted, and did not "believe in Him," when they saw that He did not take the means, which they expected from the Messiah, of raising both Himself and them. It is probable that the same worldly-minded notions of the temporal power and grandeur of Christ's kingdom, which we see so deeply infected even the Apostles, had taken much deeper possession of His relations'. Jesus replied, My reasons for going up to Jerusalem, or not doing so, are dependent on matters wholly out of your ability to judge or determine. Ye are in no danger of being hated and persecuted, for ye are led by worldly principles and affections; but so long as My doctrine reproves the wickedness and carnal imaginations of men, they will hate and oppose Me to the utmost of their power. It seems Drs. Wall and Whitby. • Dr. Lightfoot.

' Dr. Hales.

probable that the Jews had formed some treacherous designs against Him; for He asks them, "Why go ye about to kill me?" Yet, after His brethren were gone up, He went up privately, so as to avoid the threatened danger, showing, in this manner, that He would not use a miraculous power to escape the designs of His enemies, when common prudence would serve 8.

It was evident that He had been remarked as a regular attendant upon the Mosaical ordinances; for, as He did not appear on the first days of the feast, much private discourse passed from one man to another, questioning, among themselves, Whether He was a good Man, or a deceiver? But those who were most favourable to Him, durst not commend Him openly for fear of the Jews'. About the midst of the festival, Jesus appeared in the Temple, "and taught." He observed that He was invested with a commission from heaven; and that His doctrine was not human learning, but a direct revelation from God; that the evidences of what He asserted were such as would convince any honest inquirer; and that He who would attain a right understanding of the truth, is He who is most careful to practise the commandments of God'. That an honest disposition to conform Dr. Whitby and Bp. Mann.

* Dr. Clagett.

1 Dr. Robinson.

our wills to them, is the best preservative against error in religion, and carries with it a wellgrounded assurance of the Divine aid, to assist persons so disposed in these inquiries after truth. Whoever is not first sincerely disposed to do the will of God, will be in great danger of not knowing "the doctrine whether it be of God." The Jews, on hearing this, perceived such a depth of sacred knowledge as they could not account for: "How knoweth this Man letters," say they, say they, "having never learned ?” Jesus answered, Ye know My person, parentage, and education; but this should not prejudice you against My being a Prophet sent from God; "for I am not come of Myself." They thought there was something extraordinary in all this, but that still Jesus could not be the Christ; because there was still a circumstance in His appearance which militated against an opinion concerning the Messiah in which they had been brought up, namely, that "when Christ. cometh, no man knoweth whence He is "." The Rabbies taught the tradition that, although Messiah was to be first manifested in Bethlehem, they supposed He would be hid again, and, after some space of time, make a new appearance, from what place no one could tell1. Perhaps it is in allusion to this, that Jesus says, in this place, " Ye shall seek Me, and shall not

2

Bishop Gibson.

3

Archdeacon Paley. 'Dr. Lightfoot.

find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come." They also thought that, as Melchisedec was a type of Christ, and is described as being without father or mother, so there should be a similitude to this in the generation of the Messiah; and, Isaiah the prophet agreeing with this, says, "Who shall declare His generation 5 ?"

The Feast of Tabernacles, at the celebration of which our Lord was now present at Jerusalem, was the third and last of the three great annual festivals, which required the presence of the people at the place of the sanctuary. Like the other two, it lasted a week; and in its primary object was instituted as a memorial of the dwelling of the Israelites in tents, while they wandered in the wilderness. This festival would sometimes appear as if its duration was eight days; for it seems that a feast, called the Feast of Ingathering, as a thanksgiving for the vintage, was held on a day immediately following the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles: whence the whole eight days came to be regarded as one feast. Accordingly, it became a vintage feast; and it is recorded of the Jews, by a heathen historian, that the Jews kept it in honour of Bacchus, living in booths, made of palm and ivy, wreathed together; and that they carried in their hands boughs of palms, when they went in procession into their Temple:

3

Bps. Mann and Pearce.

6 Dr. Jennings.