HIS OWN PUBLIC MINISTRY AND CHARACTER -continued.

HIS MIRACLES

ON ANIMATE AND INANIMATE NATURE- continued.

houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of
them came from far.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence
can a man satisfy these men with bread here in
the wilderness?

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

8 So they did eat, and were filled and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

Commands a Fish to bring the Tribute-money.

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute-money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute?

25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Mark

viii.

Matt.

xvii.

Curses and withers a barren Fig-tree, Matt. xxi. Mark xi,
See p. 90.

the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell
on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted saw no man, save Jesus only.

up their eyes, they

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

28 And it came to pass, about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter, and John, and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And, as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias;

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear him.

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

THE CLOSING SCENES OF His Life.

Matt.

xvii.

Luke

ix.

But before we turn aside to see this great sight, let us endeavour to cultivate a spirit of reverence and godly fear. We ought to recollect, as though we were on a dying bed, the dig

THE CLOSING SCENES OF HIS LIFE- continued.

nity of the Person who is about to close his life, and the end for which he died. Preparation of mind is of great importance here. The subject requires the most deep and fixed attention. While contemplating it, the apostle Paul exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." The remaining part of this volume is, in fact, the most important part of Divine Revelation · without it, the Bible would resemble our solar system without the sun. Perhaps it may assist our meditations a little, preparatory to viewing the amazing scenes here recorded, if we read with attention the following passages of Scripture.

Isa. 53. 1 Who hath believed our REPORT? AND

TO WHOM is the arm of the LORD
revealed? 2 For he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant, and as a
root out of a dry ground: he hath no
form nor comeliness; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty that
we should desire him. 3 HE IS DE-
SPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN; A
MAN OF SORROWS, AND ACQUAINTED
WITH GRIEF: and we hid as were
our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely

HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS, AND
CARRIED OUR SORROWS: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God,
and afflicted. 5 But HE was WOUNDED
FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, he was
BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES: THE
CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE was
UPON HIM; AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE

ARE HEALED. 6 All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and THE
LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INI-
QUITY OF US ALL. 7 He was oppressed,
and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb, so he
openeth not his mouth.
8 He was

taken from prison and from judg-
ment: and who shall declare his
generation? for he was cut off out of
the land of the living: FOR THE

TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS

--

THE CLOSING SCENES OF HIS LIFE continued.

Rom. iv. 25.
Rom. x. 4.

HE STRICKEN. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make HIS SOUL AN OFFERING FOR SIN, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for HE SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death and HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS; AND HE BARE THE SIN OF MANY, and MADE

:

INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS.

HE WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES. HE IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS to every one that believeth. 1 Pet.iii. 18. HE SUFFERED FOR SINS, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.

Heb. ix. 22. Without SHEDDING OF BLOOD is no remis

sion.

1 Pet. i. 18,19. We are "REDEEMED WITH THE BLOOD

OF CHRIST."

Heb. ix. 12. BY HIS OWN BLOOD he entered in once into the holy place

1 Tim. ii. 6.

Heb. ix. 26.

He gave himself a RANSOM FOR all.
In the end of the world hath he appeared
to put away sin BY THE SACRIFICE OF

HIMSELF.

Isa. xlii. 21. He will MAGNIFY THE LAW and make it

Heb. x. 12.

honourable.

After he had OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE

FOR SINS, for ever sat down on the right hand of God.

1 Pet. ii. 24. HE BARE OUR SINS in his own body on

Heb. ii. 14.

the tree.

That THROUGH DEATH he might destroy

him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

THE CLOSING SCENES OF HIS LIFE- continued.

Col. ii. 15.

John i. 29.

Rom. iv. 25.

Heb. ix. 24.

1 John ii. 1.

Having SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES

AND

POWERS, he made a shew of them
openly.

He TAKETH AWAY the sin of the world.
He was RAISED AGAIN for our justifi-
cation.

He NOW APPEARS in the presence of
God for us.

We have AN ADVOCATE with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.

Heb. iv. 15. He Is TOUCHED with the feeling of our

infirmities.

Heb. vii. 25. He EVER LIVETH to make INTERCESSION
for them who come unto God by
him.

Looking at the Works of Creation,

we may say,

"These MIGHTY ORBS proclaim thy power,
"Their motion speaks thy skill;
"And on the wings of every hour
"We read THY PATIENCE still.

"But when we read thy STRANGE DESIGN
" TO SAVE REBELLIOUS WORMS,
"Where JUSTICE and COMPASSION join,
"In their divinest forms,

"HERE THE WHOLE DEITY IS KNOWN;
"Nor dares a creature guess

"Which of the glories brightest shone,
"The JUSTICE or the GRACE."

Here - "MERCY and TRUTH are met together,

"RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE have kissed each other." Psalm lxxxv. 10.

He informs his Disciples of his approaching Crucifixion.
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished
all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,

2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of
the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to
be crucified.

Matt.

xxvi.

After his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, five Days before the Passover, he begins to enter upon his last Conflict. (See 1st and 12th verses of John xii.)

23 The hour is come, that the Son of John man should be glorified.