fore undeniably followed, that JESUS was not a sinner, but sent from God, otherwise he could do nothing.

The Pharisees were not ignorant, that this argument was conclusive; they felt its whole force, and well knew that it could not be resisted; accordingly, they did not attempt to answer it, but had recourse to punishment, and abusive language: Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us, said they: thou impudent, illiterate mortal, whose understanding is as dark as thy body lately was, dost thou presume to judge and determine, and dissent in opinion from the wise and learned! Thou, who wast born under the heaviest punishment of sins, dost thou pretend to instruct the rulers of the people, who are eminent for their knowledge of the law! Having thus vented their pride and envy, in reviling the poor man, the evangelist adds, they cast him out: that is, they passed on him the sentence of excommunication, which is the highest punishment it was in their power to inflict: but, though he was cut off from the Jewish synagogue and society, he was received into a society, whose privileges are great, and from which he could never be excluded by any unjust sentence, by any body of men, however powerful: he was united to a society whose members are never cut off, but will unite in happiness, love, joy, and glory, during a boundless eternity.

That this poor man was received amongst the number of the disciples of CHRIST, is manifest from the conversation which soon after passed between the restored person and our great Redeemer: Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe in the Son of God.

The man did not know how to answer this question till he knew who was the great person which JESUS had mentioned to him; and therefore, he inquired,

Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? Our great Redeemer would not keep him in suspense, but immediately and explicitly replied, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he who talketh with thee. The poor man answered, with gratitude and joy, Lord I believe, and he worshipped him. Our Lord graciously accepted of his adoration, and glancing at the pride, and perverseness of the Pharisees, he said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made blind. Some of the Pharisees, which were with him heard these words, and perceiving the reference to themselves, they asked, are we blind also? To which our Lord replied, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see, therefore your sin remaineth.

Our Lord then, to shew the disparity between himself, and those proud, hypocritical teachers, assumed the character of a shepherd, and displayed his love, tenderness, and care for his chosen followers, by the similitude of the care and watchfulness of a good shepherd over his flock, while such false pretenders, and hypocritical teachers as the Pharisees, might fitly be compared to a gang of thieves, whose only view is to disturb and destroy: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that the sheep might have life, and they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

And further to shew the absolute necessity of believing in him, and receiving his doctrine, our great Redeemer compared himself to a door; Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief, and a rob

ber.

Though these similitudes contained a very severe reproof, directed to the false teachers of Israel, they did not understand the meaning of them, and the people were much divided in their sentiments concerning him and his teaching; some said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of one that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

From the pride, envy, obstinate perverseness, and implacable resentment of the Pharisees, we should learn to contemplate the crafty insinuation, and subtle endeavours of the enemies of the cross of CHRIST in these latter times: nor need we be surprised, if we find the same malicious insinuations in different shapes levelled against ourselves, if we are enabled to embrace the truths of the gospel, and to confess before all men the glory, honour and dignity of him who hath opened our eyes, and brought us out of darkness into his marvellous light. It is contrary to the nature of the world, or worldly minded men, to love our Lord JESUS CHRIST, or to esteem those who profess to know him, and bear witness concerning the world, that its works are evil. Let us not, therefore, be discouraged if we find the world to hate us, and load us with unjust reproaches for our attachment to the cause of our great Redeemer; but, like the blind man, whose case we have been considering, let us openly and boldly profess the truth, and declare the power of God, who hath illuminated our dark minds, and led us in the paths of everlasting light and happiness.

The feast of dedication now drew near, and our Lord prepared to go to Jerusalem, to be present at the solemnity. This feast was not appointed by Moses, but by that noble warrior, and heroic reformer, Judas Maccabeus, in commemoration of his having cleansed the temple, and restored its worship, after both had been prophaned and polluted by that abominable tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes.

But, though this feast was of human institution, our Lord chose to be present at, although he knew that fresh attempts would be made against his life; his time on earth he knew was short, his public ministry was drawing to a period, and, therefore, he would not omit any opportunity of preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and doing good to the children of men; nor did he now, as he had formerly done, travel in private, but openly declared his intention of going to Jerusalem.

The road to the capital from Galilee, to which our Lord had retired after the miracle of restoring sight to the blind man, lay through Samaria. The inhabitants of this country entertained the most inveterate hatred against all who worshipped in the temple at Jerusalem: JESUS was no stranger to this disposition of the Samaritans, and therefore he sent messengers before him that they might find reception for him in one of the villages; but the Samaritans being informed, that the intention of his journey was to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, they suffered their old national prejudice to prevail so far, as to induce them to refuse him admittance.

The messengers who had been sent on this business returned, and gave an account of the inhospitable treatment they had received; which 'so exceedingly offended the disciples, that they prevailed on James and John, to propose to their Master the calling down fire from heaven to destroy them, pleading the example of the prophet Elijah for such precipitate and violent proccedings: Lord, wilt thou, said they, that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did.

But the blessed JESUS, whose meekness on all occasions was beyond example, rebuked them for entertaining so hasty and unbecoming a resentment: Ye know not, said he, what manner of spirit ye are of: ye

are ignorant of the sinfulness of the disposition which ye have now expressed, nor do ye consider the difference between the dispensation of the law and the gospel; the severity of the prophet Elijah was a just punishment to a wicked and cruel, as well as idolatrous king, and a people who had consented to his crimes, and had forsaken the worship of the God of their fathers; it was a punishment very proper for the times, and what the nature of the offence required; it was consistent with the character of the prophet, and not unsuitable to the Mosaic dispensation: but the gospel breathed a very different spirit; the design of our Redeemer's coming into the world, not being to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

Behold here, ye despisers of the gospel dispensation! Ye advocates for the purity and dignity of human nature, and despisers of the cross of CHRIST! Behold here an instance of patience under an unprovoked injury, which cannot be matched amongst all the boasted heroes of antiquity; an instance of patience which expressed infinite sweetness of disposition, worthy to be imitated by all the human race, especially by those who call themselves the disciples of CHRIST.

Entertainment and reception being denied by the inhospitable inhabitants of this Samaritan village, our great Redeemer, with his disciples, directed their way towards another; and as they were on the way, he was met by a stranger, and accosted with this language, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. The blessed JESUS, to whom the hearts of all mankind were open, well knowing that it was only the riches and honours of the Messiah's expected temporal kingdom, which excited this person to make the declaration; he thought proper at first to undeceive him: Foxes have holes, said he, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head; alluding to the conduct of the inhospitable Samaritans, and foretelling what they must expect to suffer, who es